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How Bulawayo's townships reflect city's rich Ndebele heritage
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IN 1894, Bulawayo had just one African township. Today, the city boasts close to twenty townships in the western suburbs. Bulawayo's first African township was Makokoba, also known as the "Location" or the "Bulawayo African Township". For nearly thirty-five years, Makokoba was the only township for Africans in Bulawayo. Makokoba stretches northwards from Lobengula Street and 6th Avenue Extension. The first Superintendent, Mr Fallon, walked with a stick.
The word "umakokoba" describes him, as the little old man owayekokobele (stooped or hunched over) walking with a stick that made the noise "ko-ko-ko".
In 1931, the Southern Rhodesian government of Sir Godfrey Huggins built the Luveve African Village. There are various theories on the origins of the name "Luveve". However, the most popular of these theories is that it was named after Luveve, one of King Lobengula's daughters. King Lobengula's daughter, Luveve, was born to Queen Lozikeyi, one of the King's wives who played a significant role in the Ndebele kingdom. After 1931, the next township to be built was Mzilikazi. The Bulawayo City Council had a policy of documenting Ndebele history through the naming of townships, streets in the townships, and names of beerhalls. Mzilikazi Township was built in 1945. The township was named after the founding king of the Ndebele nation, King Mzilikazi Khumalo, who led his people out of present-day KwaZulu-Natal in 1820.
He finally settled in the south-western part of Zimbabwe in 1840. He died in 1868 and his remains were interred in a cave on Entumbane Hill. Many structures within Mzilikazi Township were named after King Mzilikazi: Mzilikazi Primary School, Mzilikazi Memorial Library, Mzilikazi High School, and Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre.
The post-World War II era saw the building of more townships. In what was later to be termed the Bulawayo African Townships (BAT), Barbourfields and Nguboyenja were added. Barbourfields was named after a Bulawayo ex-mayor, H R Barbour, who had a keen interest in African welfare.
Nguboyenja was named after one of King Lobengula's sons. Nguboyenja was one of the royal sons who were whisked out of Rhodesia by Cecil John Rhodes supposedly to give them a western education in the Cape Province.
The then Rhodesia Railways, now National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), was a major employer in Bulawayo. In the early days, NRZ had workers' compounds. The late veteran nationalist, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo, lived in one of these compounds when he came back from South Africa in 1948 to work for the company. As the company grew, there was a need for more accommodation for the workers.
Two townships were then built for the workers: Matshobana and Sizinda. Matshobana Township was named after King Mzilikazi's father, Matshobana. Sizinda was named after one of the Ndebele villages called iSizinda. At one time, iSizinda village was stationed where the present township is sited, and in pre-colonial times, Maphisa Fuyana was the chief of this village.
After the end of hostilities in 1945, there was an industrial boom in Bulawayo. Dr Hugh Ashton, who took charge of the African Housing Department, noted the need for more townships, especially for the workers, and more townships were established.
The first was Iminyela, also referred to as "Number 1". The township, north of Khami Road and west of Nketa Drive, was initially built for men only. Iminyela is the name of the tree species common in that area. After Iminyela, Mabuthweni was built, also referred to as "Number 2". Mabuthweni was sometimes referred to as eZinkabini. At the onset of the city, the men were not supposed to bring in their wives or girlfriends, hence the reference to them as izinkabi (oxen). Frequent raids were carried out to flush out women. Amabutho refers to recruits, ready to be trained as soldiers during the heyday of the Ndebele State.
After Mabuthweni, the next township to be built was Njube. It was built as married quarters to the south of Luveve Road near the commonage boundary. Njube was King Lobengula's son, the first to be born after Lobengula had become king. Mpopoma was built next and was very much adored by many residents in Bulawayo. It was a "home ownership township" for families. Since families now had home ownership, they could also accommodate lodgers, making Mpopoma a very big social hub. Some of the oldest and most popular shebeens started in Mpopoma, which is also home to a number of football greats. Its name derived from a stream further west which flowed towards the Khami River. However, Mpopoma in isiNdebele refers to a waterfall, and indeed, the stream in question had a waterfall.
In terms of numbered townships, the last, which was a set of flats, was Sidojiwe. It was also named after yet another royal son, Prince Sidojiwe, the son of King Lobengula. Sidojiwe was unique in that it was established within an industrial area and was meant to be a single men's quarters. Pumula, like Mpopoma, was a "home ownership township" for families.
The name Pumula means ‘rest,' so it denoted a resting place, referencing the fact that many had built homes there to retire and rest. Captured again from "Pumula" were the ongoing struggles to gain longer and more secure housing tenure for Africans in Bulawayo against the Rhodesian laws that stipulated that towns belonged to whites and Africans were to live in reserves set aside for their settlement.
The same theme of securing housing tenure for Africans was taken further when Pelandaba was built. It was also one of the numbered townships (Number 6), and Pelandaba became the name that celebrated the struggles for more secure tenure. Pelandaba literally means "the matter is concluded", indaba iphelile, with special reference to the end of the struggle for more secure tenure. Pelandaba became a prestigious township where the African elites lived. These included, among others, Joshua Nkomo, Reverend Sengwayo of the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), and a number of nationalist leaders that included Todd Msongelwa Ndlovu, Makhathini Guduza, Zephaniah Sihwa, Enos Mdlongwa, and Edward Simela. The township became home to the then most prestigious beer hall in the western suburbs, Ikhwezi Beer Garden.
As Bulawayo grew, space for the establishment of African townships was beginning to run out, and nearby farms were incorporated into Bulawayo. What was then Curtis Farm was acquired for the construction of another township, Magwegwe, which was also a township for family accommodation.
The township was named after King Lobengula's senior induna, Magwegwe Fuyana. Lobengula was built before independence. Around the time of independence, Entumbane Township was under construction. The township was named after King Mzilikazi's burial place, a small hill off the Old Gwanda Road. Emakhandeni is a name that stems from one of the four generative villages at the time of King Mzilikazi. King Mzilikazi lived at eZinyosini on the Vaal River (uLikhwa), and a number of villages were part of aMakhanda: iNdinana, iNzwananzi, iNxa, iNsinda, and iNsingo.
Nkulumane Township is a post-independence creation. The name of the township comes from Nkulumane, King Mzilikazi's heir apparent. King Lobengula lived at what we now term Old Bulawayo. He used to visit two other villages, Emganwini and Amatsh'amhlophe (Umganwini and Matsheumhlope, the corrupted colonial versions have been retained). The name Emganwini derived from a tree found in the area. The marula tree is called umganu in isiNdebele. Such is the history of the names of our townships, denoting their historical significance.
The word "umakokoba" describes him, as the little old man owayekokobele (stooped or hunched over) walking with a stick that made the noise "ko-ko-ko".
In 1931, the Southern Rhodesian government of Sir Godfrey Huggins built the Luveve African Village. There are various theories on the origins of the name "Luveve". However, the most popular of these theories is that it was named after Luveve, one of King Lobengula's daughters. King Lobengula's daughter, Luveve, was born to Queen Lozikeyi, one of the King's wives who played a significant role in the Ndebele kingdom. After 1931, the next township to be built was Mzilikazi. The Bulawayo City Council had a policy of documenting Ndebele history through the naming of townships, streets in the townships, and names of beerhalls. Mzilikazi Township was built in 1945. The township was named after the founding king of the Ndebele nation, King Mzilikazi Khumalo, who led his people out of present-day KwaZulu-Natal in 1820.
He finally settled in the south-western part of Zimbabwe in 1840. He died in 1868 and his remains were interred in a cave on Entumbane Hill. Many structures within Mzilikazi Township were named after King Mzilikazi: Mzilikazi Primary School, Mzilikazi Memorial Library, Mzilikazi High School, and Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre.
The post-World War II era saw the building of more townships. In what was later to be termed the Bulawayo African Townships (BAT), Barbourfields and Nguboyenja were added. Barbourfields was named after a Bulawayo ex-mayor, H R Barbour, who had a keen interest in African welfare.
Nguboyenja was named after one of King Lobengula's sons. Nguboyenja was one of the royal sons who were whisked out of Rhodesia by Cecil John Rhodes supposedly to give them a western education in the Cape Province.
The then Rhodesia Railways, now National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), was a major employer in Bulawayo. In the early days, NRZ had workers' compounds. The late veteran nationalist, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo, lived in one of these compounds when he came back from South Africa in 1948 to work for the company. As the company grew, there was a need for more accommodation for the workers.
Two townships were then built for the workers: Matshobana and Sizinda. Matshobana Township was named after King Mzilikazi's father, Matshobana. Sizinda was named after one of the Ndebele villages called iSizinda. At one time, iSizinda village was stationed where the present township is sited, and in pre-colonial times, Maphisa Fuyana was the chief of this village.
After the end of hostilities in 1945, there was an industrial boom in Bulawayo. Dr Hugh Ashton, who took charge of the African Housing Department, noted the need for more townships, especially for the workers, and more townships were established.
The first was Iminyela, also referred to as "Number 1". The township, north of Khami Road and west of Nketa Drive, was initially built for men only. Iminyela is the name of the tree species common in that area. After Iminyela, Mabuthweni was built, also referred to as "Number 2". Mabuthweni was sometimes referred to as eZinkabini. At the onset of the city, the men were not supposed to bring in their wives or girlfriends, hence the reference to them as izinkabi (oxen). Frequent raids were carried out to flush out women. Amabutho refers to recruits, ready to be trained as soldiers during the heyday of the Ndebele State.
After Mabuthweni, the next township to be built was Njube. It was built as married quarters to the south of Luveve Road near the commonage boundary. Njube was King Lobengula's son, the first to be born after Lobengula had become king. Mpopoma was built next and was very much adored by many residents in Bulawayo. It was a "home ownership township" for families. Since families now had home ownership, they could also accommodate lodgers, making Mpopoma a very big social hub. Some of the oldest and most popular shebeens started in Mpopoma, which is also home to a number of football greats. Its name derived from a stream further west which flowed towards the Khami River. However, Mpopoma in isiNdebele refers to a waterfall, and indeed, the stream in question had a waterfall.
In terms of numbered townships, the last, which was a set of flats, was Sidojiwe. It was also named after yet another royal son, Prince Sidojiwe, the son of King Lobengula. Sidojiwe was unique in that it was established within an industrial area and was meant to be a single men's quarters. Pumula, like Mpopoma, was a "home ownership township" for families.
The name Pumula means ‘rest,' so it denoted a resting place, referencing the fact that many had built homes there to retire and rest. Captured again from "Pumula" were the ongoing struggles to gain longer and more secure housing tenure for Africans in Bulawayo against the Rhodesian laws that stipulated that towns belonged to whites and Africans were to live in reserves set aside for their settlement.
The same theme of securing housing tenure for Africans was taken further when Pelandaba was built. It was also one of the numbered townships (Number 6), and Pelandaba became the name that celebrated the struggles for more secure tenure. Pelandaba literally means "the matter is concluded", indaba iphelile, with special reference to the end of the struggle for more secure tenure. Pelandaba became a prestigious township where the African elites lived. These included, among others, Joshua Nkomo, Reverend Sengwayo of the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), and a number of nationalist leaders that included Todd Msongelwa Ndlovu, Makhathini Guduza, Zephaniah Sihwa, Enos Mdlongwa, and Edward Simela. The township became home to the then most prestigious beer hall in the western suburbs, Ikhwezi Beer Garden.
As Bulawayo grew, space for the establishment of African townships was beginning to run out, and nearby farms were incorporated into Bulawayo. What was then Curtis Farm was acquired for the construction of another township, Magwegwe, which was also a township for family accommodation.
The township was named after King Lobengula's senior induna, Magwegwe Fuyana. Lobengula was built before independence. Around the time of independence, Entumbane Township was under construction. The township was named after King Mzilikazi's burial place, a small hill off the Old Gwanda Road. Emakhandeni is a name that stems from one of the four generative villages at the time of King Mzilikazi. King Mzilikazi lived at eZinyosini on the Vaal River (uLikhwa), and a number of villages were part of aMakhanda: iNdinana, iNzwananzi, iNxa, iNsinda, and iNsingo.
Nkulumane Township is a post-independence creation. The name of the township comes from Nkulumane, King Mzilikazi's heir apparent. King Lobengula lived at what we now term Old Bulawayo. He used to visit two other villages, Emganwini and Amatsh'amhlophe (Umganwini and Matsheumhlope, the corrupted colonial versions have been retained). The name Emganwini derived from a tree found in the area. The marula tree is called umganu in isiNdebele. Such is the history of the names of our townships, denoting their historical significance.
Source - The Chronicle
