MEET ZAMBIA'S YOUNGEST COMEDIAN, SAMANTHA THOLE. .

March 18, 2021

Whilst most Zambian public faces of the Entertainment and Arts Industry are concentrated in Lusaka and the Copperbelt Provinces, far away in the land of the Ngunis or what Prince Buthelezi Mangosuthu described as 'the Zulus of Zambia', there is a young girl who is rivarling the country's best comedians. Samantha Thole has not yet even clocked age 10, but she is already a wonder.

Mesmerizing her audience in the local dialect.

Samantha Thole is based in the city of Chipata in Eastern Zambia. This is the land that is often dubbed 'NGUNILAND'. Most of the people there are Ngonis/Ngonis whose inspirational figurehead was Zwangendaba KaHlatshwayo Jele. They were led into their present home by Zwangendaba's first born son, Ntutho whose signature name is Mphezeni.

Samantha Thole is thus a 'Mphezeni Nguni'. Unlike most comedians in the country that entertain in mostly English, Nyanja or Bemba, Samantha does her comedy in the native tongue of Chipata which is a combination of mostly Nsenga and corrupted Isinguni. This is unprecedented as the language used is often tagged a 'rural dialect'.

Samantha Thole captured here by her uncle, started comedy as little as age 5.

Samantha Thole's Nguni heritage

Currently, as Zambia's youngest comedian, Samantha Thole is a native of Katenda village under Inkhosi Nzamane Jele, a chiefdom found in the Southern Part of the Eastern Province. As almost all Ngunis in Zambia also identify by Kraal or Isibayas, Samantha Thole is from the Mfumbeni Kraal.

Her clan name (surname) of Thole is in fact a corruption of Sithole. Her kind, the Tholes or Sitholes of of Senior Inkosi Nzamane, are mainly concentrated in the villages of Katenda, Mgogo, Maligulu and Langa.

All these four mentioned villages were all founded by sons of one man, each naming his found village by his actual name; their father hailed from the Thole clan. Mgogo was the eldest of these sons. Their roots are in the village of Lembani under King Mphezeni.

It should be mentioned that Langa never reached his destination as he perished in battle; his followers broke away from the village of Mgogo to esablish their own village just a stone throw away from Mgogo.In fact, most of the old men of Langa village bear the Mgogo village on their national registration cards.

The village of Mgogo is neighbored by the village of Mbuzi where there is a high concentration of the Mshangas (some like renowned artist Teddy Bechman who hails from Mbuzi village,use Mshauko, he is in fact the uncle of Samantha Thole) and the Mbuzis. Mbuzi was in fact an Induna of these brothers. Samantha Thole's mother is from the village of Mbuzi.

Renowned artist Teddy Mshauko manages Samantha Thole and he hails from Mbuzi village

Rewinding History to St Lucia Bay Area

The Tholes inspirational figurehead was Gwaza Sithole(Thole). Gwaza Thole was the Angoni Nation's Prime Minister during the reign of Zwangendaba Jele. He was in fact the first Non-Jele to command a regiment under King Zwangendaba. His followers hailed from a neighboring Nation with the Jeles.

He was a dear friend of Zwangendaba and one of the few who would advise the Great Lion of the Angoni. It was Gwaza Thole who also led the execution part that wiped off the village of queen Loziwawa and Soseya (Emveyewyeni) at the instruction of Zwangendaba. But he spared the then pregant Queen Soseya and hid her in his village called Loangweni, until after she delivered.

Gwaza died just a year and few months after the death of Zwangendaba. After his death, we see the influence that he had in the absence of Zwangendaba as the Angoni Nation disintegrated into pieces. His followers are scattered among the Ngoni Nations of Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi.

In the Zambian case, their totem is also 'Makowane'. It is a common affair for one to refer to the Tholes as "Baba Makowane" especially in Katenda village.

The surname Thole is a reference to a calf. In fact at one point during their trek, the Ngonis were once tagged as the 'Tholes'. Traditionally they are Zinduna of the Jele ruling class.

Wunderkind Samantha Thole is the face of comedy in Chipata and the whole Eastern Province.

Izithakazelo Zakwa Sithole, Sithole Clan Names, Sithole Clan Praises
Jobe !
Mondisa!
Phumela phandle ngoba kufudumele
Matshana!
Mhlakaza nhlansi zingamshisi
Ziyoshis’ abalondolozi

Maphitha!
Mthembu waseGubazi
AbaThembu bengabakwaMvelase
Ngqikazi zimnyama zingamankankazana
Nyama kaMaqoqo
Abayidla beyidonsisana

Nina bakaMgidi wekhohlwa
Nina bakaThakazelwayo
Nina bakaMqolo
Owadl’ omuny’ umqolo
Nina bakaDidiz’ umkhaba
Mkhomb’ olwadl’ eminy’ imikhombe
Lwandl’ oluhambezintabeni
Nina baseQhudeni

Jozana olubomvan’ olundakandakana
Qomond’ olumantinyane
Olubuk’ umuntu lumethembise
Sengathi luzomakkhel’ umuzi, kanti phinde!

Nina bethole intshwabadeyane
Mthiyane Sonomo
Nina bakaMkhwawozi
Owakhawuz’ Mdod’ akhawuleka
Nkomankoman’ ekhawuz’ abalondolozi
Nina bakaNyawo zimthende, zimthendelezi.

Ngweny’ edlel’ ohawini
Nina baseNyongweni
Chakijana kaGezindaka
Suka bekhuluma!
Bhande kaMtshiba
Mahamba!
Ngokuhamb’uyeSwazini!
Luhuluhulu!