Opinion / Columnist
Ndebele Kingdom: Who should be crowned Ndebele King
19 Jun 2012 at 14:18hrs | Views
The recent diamond jubillee celebrations of the British Queen's 60 year uninterupted reign undoubtedly raised nostalgic memories of the once mighty and respected Ndebele Kingdom of King Mzilikazi within the Ndebele people. It was not without reason that the colonisers remarked that King Mzilikazi was the "Napoleon of Africa". Not even King Tshaka got that accolade.
It is a well known fact that King Mzilikazi is also credited with having ensured that slave trade did not reach Southern Africa through his formidable battlefield prowess which was second to none. King Mzilikazi relentlessly battled Afrikaner colonisers with much valour and gallantry and registered remarkable victories in the process. Hapless slave traders were kept at bay courtesy of this gallant Ndebele warrior.
Arising from the foregoing, this article seeks to answer the questions relating to the whys and wherefores of the Ndebele Kingdom since King Mzilikazi, and, in particular the succession equation. Without much ado, the question which arises is: who should be crowned the Ndebele king now, among King Mzilikazi's princes and princesses?
To answer this question, more than a leap into historical imagination is necessary. The fact that King Mzilikazi was the king of Ndebeles since about 1821 until his death in 1868 is without doubt and it is an incontrovertible truism. When he decamped northwards, it is a well known historical fact that King Mzilikazi (for security and military reasons) split his migrating kingdom into two, one led by himself and the other led by Gundwane "Mkhaliphi" Ndiweni. King Mzilkazi's group travelled via western Botswana arriving in Zimbabwe through the Tsholotsho/Hwange area three years later than Ndiweni's group. Gundwane Ndiweni's travelling polity travelled straight through central Botswana arriving via Plumtree into present day Matebeleland with a short-time.
Upon their arrival in 1837, the Gundwane Ndiweni group searched in vain for King Mzilikazi's group until it was concluded that perhaps the King had perished along the way. Consequently, after much consultation among senior indunas, a decision was taken to instal Prince Nkulumane as the Ndebele king. It is worth mentioning therefore, at this point that this obscure event in the Ndebele history has a lot of significance to future monarchical events. This important milestone and historical epoch of 1837 meant that Prince Nkulumane was the first King of the Ndebele people in present day Zimbabwe prior to the arrival of his father King Mzilikazi.
Prince Nkulumane was installed with all pomp and ceremony, glitz and glamour, military parades and pageantry. Ipso facto it meant that Prince Nkulumane was a duly crowned king of the Ndebeles having received all due recognition by all and sundry. It is also noteworthy that Prince Nkulumane ruled from 1837 until King Mzilikazi's arrival in about 1839/40.
As fate has it, upon King Mzilikazi's arrival in 1839/40, Prince Nkulumane abdicated and handed power back to his father. Prince Nkulumane and the indunas that had installed him were then secretly sent back to South Africa to be exiled until their possible future return. It is interesting to note that racist colonial historians and tribalistic propagandist historians have generally jointly and severally vulgarised and bastardised this historical fact by alleging that upon his arrival, King Mzilikazi annihilated and monstrously butchered all the responsible indunas together with his son Nkulumane.
This allegation first started by colonial historians and seized by tribalist propagandist historians happens to be the exact opposite of the historical truth. The truth being that Prince Nkulumane and indunas Gundwane Ndiweni, Nyathela Khanye, Magalane Dlodlo, Mhabahaba Mkhwanazi, Ndambisamahubo Mafu, and one Siwela, inter alia, were secretly sent back to South Africa and they eventually settled in present day Phokeng within the Royal Bafokeng kingdom where their descendants are to be found to this day. The details of their arrival and dates etc etc are all well preserved by the Royal Bafokeng nation. In fact the whole area township of Phokeng is generally called Nkulumane Park in honour of Prince Nkulumane, whose grave is well preserved as a national monument by the South African government there in Phokeng.
Back to the succession debate, notwithstanding the foregoing, the jury is still out as to who should in fact be the heir to the Ndebele kingdom. The historic irony in the whole Ndebele succession debate is that the answer lies in the Ndebele royalty itself. In 1839/40 when King Mzilikazi arrived resulting in Prince Nkulumane's abdication, power was handed over back to King Mzilikazi without any incident (except the insane figment of propagandist historians' imaginations). These propagandist and tribalistic historians still allege that King Mzilikazi monstrously killed his son and the responsible Indunas even though their graves are not found in Ntabazinduna but rather are found in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa.
The smooth handover of power from Nkulumane to Mzilikazi in 1839/40 provides important illumination as to what should happen now. With the benefit of hindsight, and current knowledge, we know that Prince Nkulumane's household and hence his descendants are still alive and well staying within a kilometre of the Royal Bafokeng nation. Technically, it simply means power must be handed back to the Nkulumane household even though King Lobengula had occupied the throne in Nkulumane's supposed absence. One needs to add here that the Ndebele regent Mncumbatha (not to be confused with this writer) acted as King between 1868 and 1870 while the search for Nkulumane was in progress). After exhaustive searching Lobengula was crowned king. Juxtapose King Lobengula's occupation of the throne with Nkulumane's occupation of the very same throne in 1837 to 1839. Nkulumane handed power back when its rightful owner pitched up in 1839. Ipso facto, King Lobengula should also do likewise when the rightful owner surfaces (i.e. Nkulumane's household). But again as fate has it, the Nkulumane household, led by Prince Ngwalongwalo Mzilikazi Khumalo, has asserted unequivocally and unambiguously that they rather prefer to cede the rights to the Ndebele throne to the King Lobengula household. This progressive pronouncement by the Nkulumane household immediately shifts all focus and the spotlight now falls squarely on the King Lobengula household. It means the rights to the throne have passed on from the Mzilikazi household into the Lobengula household courtesy of Prince Ngwalongwalo Mzilikazi Khumalo's revocation of the throne.
The search for the heir apparent therefore should be restricted to the King Lobengula household. Firstly, King Lobengula's first born son, Nyamande, was born prior to King Lobengula's coronation as king. This obscure but important technicality immediately disqualifies Nyamande's descendants from ascending to the throne. The spotlight then falls on King Lobengula's sons who were born post his coronation, i.e. Mpezeni, Nguboyenja, Njube and Sidojiwe, among others.
Incidentally, these are the king's sons (except Sidojiwe) who were abducted by Cecil John Rhodes and taken to the Cape Colony specifically as a ploy to try and extinguish any chances of the revival of the Ndebele kingship. Prince Mphezeni, the eldest died at Somerset hospital in 1899. Prince Mphezeni did not have any children. Prince Nguboyenja, the second eldest, went on to qualify as the first black lawyer in the then Southern Rhodesia, but died in Bulawayo under mysterious circumstances. There are no records of Prince Nguboyenja having any children.
The next one in line then becomes Prince Njube. Prince Njube fortunately had sons. His eldest was Prince Rhodes Lobengula Khumalo who went on to become a famed Matebele football player afterwhich he formed the legendary Highlanders Football Club. Prince Rhodes Lobengula Khumalo who had a farm in Gwatemba had sons. His son, Mncedisi Lobengula Khumalo (who like his father eventually died in the Eastern Cape (where their graves have since been declared national monuments by the Estern Cape provincial government). Mncedisi Lobengula Khumalo's household is very close to most Khumalos in Zimbabwe in particular the late Thenjiwe Lesabe (nee Khumalo), among others.
Matebeleland's Prof Misheck Jongintaba Matshazi (who spent many years at Fort Hare university in the Eastern Cape) was also very close to Prince Mncedisi Lobengula Khumalo's household. Now, Prince Mncedisi's son Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo, who currently stays in Pretoria and is a regular on all cultural events affecting his people, particularly the annual King Mzilikazi Commemorations, is therefore supposed to be the rightful heir apparent to the Ndebele throne. This is one area upon which there is unanimity and a confluence of views among all experts on Ndebele history, inclusive of Professor Sabelo Gatsheni Ndlovu, Professor Misheck Jongintaba Matshazi, Mqondobanzi Magonya and a plethora of Ndebele cultural groups. Prince Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo regularly visits old Bulawayo (his grandfather 's previous home) and has repeatedly asserted that his greatest wish is to facilitate his grandfather's team, Highlanders Football Club, to one day, visit Rhodes Lobengula Khumalo's gravesite in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape.
It is a well known fact that King Mzilikazi is also credited with having ensured that slave trade did not reach Southern Africa through his formidable battlefield prowess which was second to none. King Mzilikazi relentlessly battled Afrikaner colonisers with much valour and gallantry and registered remarkable victories in the process. Hapless slave traders were kept at bay courtesy of this gallant Ndebele warrior.
Arising from the foregoing, this article seeks to answer the questions relating to the whys and wherefores of the Ndebele Kingdom since King Mzilikazi, and, in particular the succession equation. Without much ado, the question which arises is: who should be crowned the Ndebele king now, among King Mzilikazi's princes and princesses?
To answer this question, more than a leap into historical imagination is necessary. The fact that King Mzilikazi was the king of Ndebeles since about 1821 until his death in 1868 is without doubt and it is an incontrovertible truism. When he decamped northwards, it is a well known historical fact that King Mzilikazi (for security and military reasons) split his migrating kingdom into two, one led by himself and the other led by Gundwane "Mkhaliphi" Ndiweni. King Mzilkazi's group travelled via western Botswana arriving in Zimbabwe through the Tsholotsho/Hwange area three years later than Ndiweni's group. Gundwane Ndiweni's travelling polity travelled straight through central Botswana arriving via Plumtree into present day Matebeleland with a short-time.
Upon their arrival in 1837, the Gundwane Ndiweni group searched in vain for King Mzilikazi's group until it was concluded that perhaps the King had perished along the way. Consequently, after much consultation among senior indunas, a decision was taken to instal Prince Nkulumane as the Ndebele king. It is worth mentioning therefore, at this point that this obscure event in the Ndebele history has a lot of significance to future monarchical events. This important milestone and historical epoch of 1837 meant that Prince Nkulumane was the first King of the Ndebele people in present day Zimbabwe prior to the arrival of his father King Mzilikazi.
Prince Nkulumane was installed with all pomp and ceremony, glitz and glamour, military parades and pageantry. Ipso facto it meant that Prince Nkulumane was a duly crowned king of the Ndebeles having received all due recognition by all and sundry. It is also noteworthy that Prince Nkulumane ruled from 1837 until King Mzilikazi's arrival in about 1839/40.
As fate has it, upon King Mzilikazi's arrival in 1839/40, Prince Nkulumane abdicated and handed power back to his father. Prince Nkulumane and the indunas that had installed him were then secretly sent back to South Africa to be exiled until their possible future return. It is interesting to note that racist colonial historians and tribalistic propagandist historians have generally jointly and severally vulgarised and bastardised this historical fact by alleging that upon his arrival, King Mzilikazi annihilated and monstrously butchered all the responsible indunas together with his son Nkulumane.
Back to the succession debate, notwithstanding the foregoing, the jury is still out as to who should in fact be the heir to the Ndebele kingdom. The historic irony in the whole Ndebele succession debate is that the answer lies in the Ndebele royalty itself. In 1839/40 when King Mzilikazi arrived resulting in Prince Nkulumane's abdication, power was handed over back to King Mzilikazi without any incident (except the insane figment of propagandist historians' imaginations). These propagandist and tribalistic historians still allege that King Mzilikazi monstrously killed his son and the responsible Indunas even though their graves are not found in Ntabazinduna but rather are found in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa.
The smooth handover of power from Nkulumane to Mzilikazi in 1839/40 provides important illumination as to what should happen now. With the benefit of hindsight, and current knowledge, we know that Prince Nkulumane's household and hence his descendants are still alive and well staying within a kilometre of the Royal Bafokeng nation. Technically, it simply means power must be handed back to the Nkulumane household even though King Lobengula had occupied the throne in Nkulumane's supposed absence. One needs to add here that the Ndebele regent Mncumbatha (not to be confused with this writer) acted as King between 1868 and 1870 while the search for Nkulumane was in progress). After exhaustive searching Lobengula was crowned king. Juxtapose King Lobengula's occupation of the throne with Nkulumane's occupation of the very same throne in 1837 to 1839. Nkulumane handed power back when its rightful owner pitched up in 1839. Ipso facto, King Lobengula should also do likewise when the rightful owner surfaces (i.e. Nkulumane's household). But again as fate has it, the Nkulumane household, led by Prince Ngwalongwalo Mzilikazi Khumalo, has asserted unequivocally and unambiguously that they rather prefer to cede the rights to the Ndebele throne to the King Lobengula household. This progressive pronouncement by the Nkulumane household immediately shifts all focus and the spotlight now falls squarely on the King Lobengula household. It means the rights to the throne have passed on from the Mzilikazi household into the Lobengula household courtesy of Prince Ngwalongwalo Mzilikazi Khumalo's revocation of the throne.
The search for the heir apparent therefore should be restricted to the King Lobengula household. Firstly, King Lobengula's first born son, Nyamande, was born prior to King Lobengula's coronation as king. This obscure but important technicality immediately disqualifies Nyamande's descendants from ascending to the throne. The spotlight then falls on King Lobengula's sons who were born post his coronation, i.e. Mpezeni, Nguboyenja, Njube and Sidojiwe, among others.
Incidentally, these are the king's sons (except Sidojiwe) who were abducted by Cecil John Rhodes and taken to the Cape Colony specifically as a ploy to try and extinguish any chances of the revival of the Ndebele kingship. Prince Mphezeni, the eldest died at Somerset hospital in 1899. Prince Mphezeni did not have any children. Prince Nguboyenja, the second eldest, went on to qualify as the first black lawyer in the then Southern Rhodesia, but died in Bulawayo under mysterious circumstances. There are no records of Prince Nguboyenja having any children.
The next one in line then becomes Prince Njube. Prince Njube fortunately had sons. His eldest was Prince Rhodes Lobengula Khumalo who went on to become a famed Matebele football player afterwhich he formed the legendary Highlanders Football Club. Prince Rhodes Lobengula Khumalo who had a farm in Gwatemba had sons. His son, Mncedisi Lobengula Khumalo (who like his father eventually died in the Eastern Cape (where their graves have since been declared national monuments by the Estern Cape provincial government). Mncedisi Lobengula Khumalo's household is very close to most Khumalos in Zimbabwe in particular the late Thenjiwe Lesabe (nee Khumalo), among others.
Matebeleland's Prof Misheck Jongintaba Matshazi (who spent many years at Fort Hare university in the Eastern Cape) was also very close to Prince Mncedisi Lobengula Khumalo's household. Now, Prince Mncedisi's son Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo, who currently stays in Pretoria and is a regular on all cultural events affecting his people, particularly the annual King Mzilikazi Commemorations, is therefore supposed to be the rightful heir apparent to the Ndebele throne. This is one area upon which there is unanimity and a confluence of views among all experts on Ndebele history, inclusive of Professor Sabelo Gatsheni Ndlovu, Professor Misheck Jongintaba Matshazi, Mqondobanzi Magonya and a plethora of Ndebele cultural groups. Prince Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo regularly visits old Bulawayo (his grandfather 's previous home) and has repeatedly asserted that his greatest wish is to facilitate his grandfather's team, Highlanders Football Club, to one day, visit Rhodes Lobengula Khumalo's gravesite in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape.
Source - Mncumbatha
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