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10 Mzilikazi in Zululand Mzilikazi Khumalo was born in the 1790s in the Nquthu area of northern Nguni country in Eastern South Africa. This was before the emergence of multi-clan and powerful nation states. Society then was organised into small clans. The Khumalos, a Ntungwa Nguni group, lived under Magagu Wesikhaba Khumalo. There were other Khumalos in areas such as Enondweni, Empangeni, Emzinyathini and Ebabanango. For some unknown reason, the Khumalos under Magagu decided to leave the area north of Nquthu. Before this movement to the north, Mzilikazi and his twin brother, Bheje, were born. There is no agreement as to who their mother was. Patriarchal societies paid less attention to mothers. Generally, South African sources, drawing mostly from the Reverend A T Bryant’s Olden Times in Zululand, give the name of Mzilikazi’s mother as Nomphethu, the daughter of Zwide KaLanga, the Ndwandwe (Nxumalo) king. Zimbabwean sources (Nyathi, 1994, Cobbing, 1976) claim that Mzilikazi’s mother was Cikose Ndiweni, a daughter of the Mangwe chief, Ndlovu, who was the son of Mkheswa. It is known that King Zwide Nxumalo killed Mzilikazi’s father Matshobana. Was Zwide so callous that he could kill his son-in-law? Mzilikazi married Mwaka Nxumalo (Nkulumane’s mother), who was King Zwide Nxumalo’s daughter. If Mzilikazi’s mother was a daughter of King Zwide Nxumalo, it would mean that Mzilikazi married his ‘mother’ by marrying Mwaka. Nomphethu is likely to have been one of Mwaka’s maids, alongside Fulatha Tshabalala. King Mzilikazi married Fulatha after 1826 following the death of Sukhunyana, Zwide’s son and successor. The case for Cikose being Mzilikazi’s mother seems very strong. The Ndiwenis, being the King’s maternal uncles, enjoyed a special place in the Ndebele State. When Mzilikazi Khumalo split his followers into two groups after their defeat by the Boers in 1837, one group was placed under the charge of Gundwane Ndiweni. King Mzilikazi Khumalo appointed several Ndiwenis as chiefs, for example Mpukane (for Usaba); Thambo (Inhlambabaloyi); Manyoba (Umhlanjwana); Mqengana (Emadibeni); Qaqa (Mhlahlandlela-kwesincane). Also, King Mzilikazi Khumalo is not known to have married another Ndiweni wife. Hilda Kuper cites a Northern Nguni custom that regards as preferential a marriage of a man to a woman of his own mother’s patri-clan. Among the Ndebele, this preference seems to apply to a man’s grandmother’s patri-clan. That this was the practice is confirmed 11 by Lobengula marrying Ndiwenis: Mpoliyana Ndiweni (Mabuyana’s daughter and mother of Njube), Sitswapha Ndiweni (Mpini’s sister and mother of Nguboyenja) and Mahwe Ndiweni (daughter of Mletshe, the chief of uJinga). Usually, when a King’s praises are rendered, there is reference to his mother’s identity. For example, King Lobengula Khumalo’s praises had this line – Isilwane esimnyama sakoMabindela (Nyathi, unpublished). Mabindela was the father of Fulatha Tshabalala, Lobengula’s mother. King Mzilikazi Khumalo’s praises, as given by Mdamba Khumalo, do make reference to his mother’s people. Inkosi yakithi yaphum’eMangweni kaMkheswa ka Ndlovu Ilayeni ngoba iyithulani MaZulu akeliyilondoloze (Nyathi, 1994). At the time when the Khumalos settled in the Mkhuze area, far reaching political changes were taking place in South Africa. Powerful nation states were emerging. Matshobana and his relatives soon found themselves coming under the growing Ndwandwe State of Zwide Nxumalo. The state was to the east of the Khumalo area. To the south-east were the Mthethwa (Godongwana). Zwide Nxumalo had Dingiswayo, chief of the Mthethwa, killed. But before the Mthethwa State was destroyed, Tshaka Zulu emerged and embraced it. Now King Zwide Nxumalo wanted to kill Tshaka Zulu through trickery. The Khumalo chiefs Donda and Matshobana informed Tshaka about Zwide’s plans. Zwide, angered by the treachery of Donda Wesiziba and Matshobana, had the Khumalo chiefs killed. Matshobana had his arm removed. It is said King Zwide Nxumalo used it to concoct medicines with which he fortified himself (ukutshwana). Following Matshobana’s death in 1816, Mzilikazi returned to take over the chieftainship previously held by his father. Meanwhile, Zwide decided to attack Tshaka. The first fight, when Mzilikazi was on Zwide’s side, took place in about 1818 at Qokli Hill. Before the next battle, Mzilikazi deserted Zwide and sought refuge under Tshaka. In 1819 King Zwide Nxumalo launched another attack on Tshaka who resorted to a scorched earth policy. His soldiers retreated, but made sure there was no food for Zwide Nxumalo’s soldiers who were pursuing them. King Tshaka Zulu mounted a counter attack into Ndwandwe...

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