What happens when a chief's eldest child is a daughter: A look at the Mvuthu chieftainship

This time we focus the spotlight on the Mvuthu chieftainship at Jambezi within Hwange District in Matabeleland North. Our interest in it is inspired by the instance when a girl who was the eldest child of a chief did not succeed her father after his death. Later, the same Mvuthu family was landed with a chiefly succession wrangle where this time around, as before, a girl is the eldest child and wants to succeed her late father. Before we deal with the contentious issues, let us deal with a brief account of the history of the chieftainship.

As far as we are aware what is today referred to as the Mvuthu Chieftainship originated with one Njotsho Mlotshwa who was chief of iNtemba or eNtembeni Village/Regiment located in the headwaters of the Khoce River, to the north east of Bulawayo.

Apparently, King Mzilikazi Khumalo married one of the Mlotshwa daughters, a sister to Chief Galu Mlotshwa who led the Elibeni Village/Regiment north of Bulawayo and close to the aManxele Hills in Ntabazinduna. Today an old people's home in Bulawayo's Luveve Township is named after the regiment/village led by the Mlotshwas.

Probably the best known chief of iNtemba is Xukuthwayo Mlotshwa who was a reputable poet during King Lobengula Khumalo's reign. It is also very likely that he was the first chief of iNtemba Village/Regiment while his father Njotsho was an ordinary man. Oral traditions claim that Xukuthwayo was one of the men who carried the king whenever they crossed flooded rivers. King Mzilikazi Khumalo, out of gratitude, then rewarded Xukuthwayo Mlotshwa by marrying off his daughter to him.

Chief Xukuthwayo Mlotshwa had other Khumalo wives.

Chief Xukuthwayo Mlotshwa's heir apparent was one Mvuthu Mlotshwa who was a minor at the time of Chief Xukuthwayo Mlotshwa's demise. Sikhombo Mguni may have acted as regent at the time. Young Mvuthu Mlotshwa, whose mother MaKhumalo was a younger sister of King Lobengula Khumalo was summoned to go and live at the royal capital of KoBulawayo, at its new location where modern Bulawayo stands today.

That relocation from eNtabenende where iNtemba was located then, took place before Mvuthu was old enough to herd goats.

For the next 12 years he was being carried on the back of a captive lady (owesihlangu). Apparently, Mvuthu Mlotshwa was issued with a Martini Henry rifle and the king (Lobengula Khumalo) asked him to defend him when time for that came.

Indeed, Mvuthu Mlotshwa put his rifle to good use, felling a number of whites under Major Allan Wilson at the Pupu Battle across the Shangani River on 4 December 1893.

Mvuthu Mlotshwa, then a married man, left KoBulawayo and went back to live at eNtabenende where his successor Tebele Mlotshwa was born and raised. As a result of land alienation iNtemba had been evicted from its historical location close to Bulawayo. ENtembeni people were resettled nearer Esigodini, formerly known as Essexvale. Some such as the Dlaminis and the Mabalekas went to Ntabazinduna where they are found to this day. Apparently, Tebele was chief for a brief period of only five years. After the cessation of hostilities in World War II (1939-1945)  white settlers effected land alienations with ferocious enthusiasm. Some Ndebele people were made to take part in long haul treks to new places of resettlement. The Mvuthu community at Essexvale (now Esigodini) was punished by being relocated to Jambezi near the Zambezi River.

The chief who undertook the trip to the new place was Abednico Mlotshwa whose wife was a MaTshabangu. His younger brothers were Simeon, Butcher and Lugude. They moved to a place where they lived with other fellow evictees from Matobo District and Gweru District (Lower Gwelo). It is important to note that the name of the chieftainship had since become Mvuthu after Xukuthwayo Mlotshwa's son by the same. Chief Mvuthu Mlotshwa (Abednico) was made Headman under Chief Hwange-within Reserve Area B.

Chief Mvuthu's eldest child was a girl by the name Thandiwe. As per Ndebele succession procedures and principles the Mlotshwa family met to choose a successor after the death of Chief Mvuthu (Abednico). The Mlotshwa family knew that according to their tradition regarding chiefly succession a girl was not qualified for succession. As a result, Thandiwe was passed over and Louis, alias Nyangayezizwe, was chosen as the chiefly candidate and was accordingly appointed by Government as the next Chief Mvuthu.

Before going further with the account of Mvuthu Chieftainship let's pose a while to consider a few pertinent issues. Let us start with a case where a chief's senior wife or house has several sons who come after a daughter. This happens to have been the case when Thandiwe was bypassed. Younger child, but eldest qualifying son Louis, took over. It is important to appreciate that all the sons in the senior house qualify to succeed their father. However, it is the eldest qualifying son who succeeds his father ahead of all other qualifying sons. There is an important pecking order to consider and observe.

The second eldest qualifying son would succeed if the eldest qualifying son say, had girls only. In fact, this would be a rare case of lateral succession that is from late chief to his younger brother. This can still happen among the Ndebele when the law of primogeniture (vertical, from father to eldest qualifying son) has not been possible to implement. An incumbent chief's in-laws are usually keen to have their daughter produce the next chief. When their daughter who is married to a chief fails to conceive a son, they dispatch another daughter of theirs to try and conceive a son for the first daughter.

Such a wife takes precedence over other wives that were junior to the one she has come to produce a son for. Her position in the pecking order is that of her paternal aunt for whom she has come to produce a son to succeed the incumbent chief upon his death.

If that does not happen, the next eldest son from the senior house is eligible to take over. Here it is the mother and her status that determines who the next chief will be. Suppose this number two son has no child, the next eldest qualifying son, i.e. from the senior house, takes over. Let us, for a while say the second eldest son is late but the third eldest qualifying son is still alive, what happens? If the second eldest qualifying son had produced sons there is no issue at all. It is the eldest among his qualifying sons that takes over.

The third son, even if still alive does not take over ahead of son 3's qualifying sons. The assumption here is that the eldest qualifying son's house has been disqualified for good as a result of the house having failed to produce a son. Note that this disqualification is for all time and has happened before in Ndebele chiefly succession matters.

Let us trace the Chief Mvuthu Chieftainship to see what has taken place in its case. Chief Mvuthu (Louis) married MaZulu who did not produce any son at all. Instead, she had three girls. Chief Mvuthu passed on in 2014. In view of the scenario given above what would, in the heyday of the Ndebele State, have taken place? There would have been no question of eldest daughter Silibaziso taking over. Then who would have taken over? As pointed out above, there were a number of sons from the senior house all qualifying to take over. In the event of Louis not having produced a son, one of his younger brothers would have taken over-in this case the second eldest qualifying brother, Simeon.

However, we are informed that Simeon was already late at the time when succession was to take place. Assuming the third eldest qualifying brother Butcher is still alive, he does not succeed the late chief if the second eldest qualifying brother Simeon has sons. It so happens that Simeon indeed has surviving qualifying sons, the eldest of whom is Sanders. If Ndebele traditional principles of chiefly succession were to be followed, it is Simeon's son Sanders who would have taken over.

However, this does not seem to be the case as there are contradictory views which are seeking the succession and installation of Chief Mvuthu (Louis)'s eldest child, Silibaziso  Mlotshwa. The wrangle has apparently spilled into the High Court. We are not aware of the outcome, one way or the other.