King Mzilikazi's legacy lives on

THE legacy of Ndebele King Mzilikazi lives on as the Amangwe people (a sub-section of Ndebeles) are among those who preserve the heritage with their cultural beliefs and customs of the origins of the monarch.

A lot has been said about the Amangwe but not much has been said about where they come from and how they came to settle in Zimbabwe.

This week Saturday Leisure caught up with their spokesperson Nkosinathi Ndiweni who was recently in Swaziland for the Amangwe celebrations. He explained how the Amangwe came to be.

He said it all started with a king named Zwane who had twin sons that he named Ndiweni and Mbambo.

"Ndiweni and Mbambo are names of twins that were born of King Zwane. That is why we have relations with people who have the surname Mbambo, Zwane and Ndiweni. These three are one and they are found in Matabeleland South Province and parts of Matabeleland North. Some are found in South Africa in Vryheid, and Swaziland," said Ndiweni.

He said one of King Zwane's daughters, Cikose married Matshobana father to Ndebele King Mzilikazi.

"After the death of Matshobana, King Zwane took Mzilikazi under his care. Tshaka ascended to the throne and ordered all kings to pay homage to him. King Zwane then instructed his sons, Ndiweni and Mbambo to take him to Tshaka, who gave him land. After the fallout during the Umfecane, Mzilikazi with his uncles left for present day Zimbabwe where he established his kingdom," said Ndiweni.

He said Mzilikazi's uncles were the ones who installed him as king, and when he was ailing, he instructed Jozane Mbambo to look after the nation until Lobengula was installed as king, when he died.

The Amangwe clan in Zimbabwe was then established, but this meant that they would be separated from their kith and kin for 180 years. Fortunately two years ago, the clan reunited when King Ntshosho Zwane II visited his subjects at Macingwane area of Matabeleland South Province at Chief Wasi's homestead.

Ndiweni said King Ntshosho Zwane was inaugurated in 2000 and thereafter started looking for his subjects.

"The king said he could not call himself a king without a nation to rule. Therefore he started looking for the descendents of Zwane. In 2010, we began our own meetings in Zimbabwe when we got wind that the king was looking for his subjects," he said.

Ndiweni said the meeting had over 100 people who were interested in tracing their roots.

"After the meeting, Dr Nomathemba Ndiweni and Jamalinqaba Mbambo made the trip to South Africa to formalise our existence to our kinsman. Thereafter we started to have meetings every first Saturday of the month at Sizane High School until today," he said.

Ndiweni said in 2012, he was sent to Swaziland to attend the cultural celebrations to see their brothers and sisters there. This year, the clan made the trip again to strengthen relations and King Ntshosho Zwane II was there at the celebrations held at Chief Makhosi Zwane's homestead in Mlindazwe (Mpuluzi) Manzini region in Swaziland held last week.

King Ntshotsho said women were the backbone for the perpetuation of any nation especially the Amangwe, therefore must be respected, treated as gold and cared for and respect for elders is the key to have a blessed life.

King Ntshosho Zwane II urged the Amangwe to be united as a nation so that it may grow.

"We pay bride price so that women come to a family and keep the family growing. We as kings would not be here. My father paid 70 head of cattle for my mother so that she can bare a king. Let's unite as a nation of Amangwe and not have differences. There should not be a Mangwe from Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Africa or Mozambique. We are one people as we come from the same forefathers," he said. He added that the ancestors and God speak through installed kings and people should listen to their words of advice.

"I am not standing in front of you in my personal capacity, but I am here standing for our ancestors. They use me as a mouth-piece to give direction to the nation of the Amangwe," he said.

King Ntshosho bemoaned the lack of respect by the youth for their elders and said if one is disrespectful they will not grow in character.

"There is a scripture in the Bible that says ‘respect your father and mother so that your days in this world are added'. If you are 20 years old honestly what can you tell your father? However, you can advise your siblings about how to get to your age those are the ones who you can give such advice," he said.

King Ntshosho commended such gatherings saying they strengthened family and national relations at the same time preserving the heritage.

Spokesperson for the Zimbabwe delegation Nkosinathi Ndiweni urged Amangwe not to meet at celebrations only but should organise other events.

"We wish these celebrations do not end here. People should meet any time and not wait for such gatherings to meet. It strengthens us in terms of values and a nation grows when we have respect for one another and this is because cultural values are kept," he said.

The next celebrations of the clan which will be held in Bulawayo from June 28 to 29 and the main celebrations to be held from September 28 to 29 in eEntsheteka in Kwazulu Natal in South Africa.