Abenguni History

  Once a dominant force of their generation, the 'sisters of destruction' Judit, Susan & Sofia Polgar & Janos Tompa, (Hungarian coach) are pictured here at the Thessaloniki Olympiad in 1988. In a game by far dominated by males, the Polgar Sisters challenged the status quo by by playing at the level only thought to be reserved for their male counterparts.In this vein,the Polgárs showed that there are no inherent limitations to their aptitude and strengthened the argument for nurture over nature! It is thus no surprising that they are numerous books and articles in the pages of history about the Polgar sisters, making them famous even outside of the world of chess. In 1989, American President George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara met with the Polgárs during their visit to Hungary. But it would be Judith who would by far scale the heights of greatness on the chess horizon by being positioning herself among the elitist pool of global chess personalities. The only woman to ...

The land of    Mzimba  once had a celebrated Nguni King, a direct descendant of Inkhosi Zwangendaba. His birth names were Lazalo Mkhuzo Jere. But his glorifying name was that of King Mbelwa II.  He was born in 1896  and took over from Chimtunga in 1928 as the King of the Ngonis of Mzimba. Away from the Kingdom affairs, Lazaro is heroized more for his strong stance against the  colonisation  of his native Malawi, formally   Nyasaland . A powerful and fearless leader, King Lazalo was instrumental in the fight for the independence of Mombera Kingdom (modern-day Mzimba) and is also the one of the sung Leaders of the Independence movement in Malawi. Indeed it is a well known fact that i n the late 1950s, Dr. H. Kamuzu Banda persuaded the then chief, Inkosi ya Makosi Mbelwa II to help him fight the federation and it was agreed that Mzimba would be kingdom of the north of which Mbelwa would become king of all Malawi and Banda would be his ...

  his is the picture that has had Facebook buzzing since afternoon. It is showing Inkhosi Nzamane being sworn in as a 'councillor' in the Chipata council chambers in Eastern Zambia. As usual, without facts or rather taking an ignorant stance on this discourse, some Zambians have started positing that Inkhosi Nzamane has been 'elected' as a Civic leader. This news has rightly light Facebook but it has flagrantly been promulgated. You see, the Constitution of Zambia or let me be categorical by pinpointing the fact that the Local Government Act allows three chiefs/traditional leaders per district to sit in the council. In the case of Chipata City Council, it is not only Inkhosi Nzamane that took Oath in the Council Chambers. Inkhosi Sairi and Kapatamoyo are the two other chiefs that will also sit in the Chipata City Council until 2026. In conclusion, I should mention that in the case that the district has more than three chiefs, it's the chiefs themselves to choose the...

Did you know that under Ngoni customary law, we have no clause or title called 'Paramount Chief'? Indeed any Ngoni who knows and understands our culture and tradition CANNOT refer to Mphezeni as a Paramount Chief but rather he is an Inkhosi or simply KING! But where did this mortifying title come from and how was it birthed in Ngoniland? Well, the title is a colonial tag which was aimed at 'humiliating' those African Nations who had strong monarchs, like the Mphezeni Ngonis. In fact, in the case of the Ngonis, the British had made them as their number one enemy since their King, Ntuto or simply Mphezeni had on numerous occasions resisted their occupation of his land. A glorious opportunity presented itself during the British-Angoni war of 1897 as despite Mphezeni surrendering using his Zinduna the British soldiers continued slaughtering innocent Ngonis and even destroying their social and economical societies. It is after this war that we see the creation of this tag of...

  Inkosis under His Royal Majesty Gomani Maseko, Nkosini Headquarters Lizulu 1. Inkosi Masasa-Ntcheu 2Inkosi Njolomole Ziyembe-Ntcheu 3. Inkosi Kwataine- Ntcheu 4. Inkosi Mpando-Ntcheu                                                   Willard Mswati Gomani, the reigning Inkhosi Ya Makhosi Gomani V. His capital is Lizulu in Ntcheu. 5. Inkosi Champiti-Ntcheu 6. Inkosi Chakhumbila- Ntcheu 7. Inkosi Ganya-Ntcheu 8. Inkosi Mpando-Ntcheu 9. Inkosi Makwangwala- Ntcheu 10. Inkosi Phambala- Ntcheu 11. Inkosi Kachindamoto- Dedza 12. Inkosi Kamenyagwaza- Dedza 13. Inkosi kachere-Dedza 14. Inkosi Chilikumwendo-Dedza 15- Inkosi Masula- Lilongwe 16. Inkosi Chantulo- Mangochi 17. Inkosi Kanduku- Mwaza 18. Inkosi Bvumbwe- Thyolo 19. Inkosi Zimtambila- Angonia Province, Mocambique 20. Inkosi Chamthunya- Balaka. 21. Ulongwe - Balaka 22.Chilipi - Mangoc...

The Jele Ngonis of Zambia escorting their Ngwenyema, Inkhosi Ya Makhosi Mphezeni, in spectacular fashion, during their royal pilgrimage called the Incwala in Mtengeluni, Eastern Zambia. The ceremony immortalizes a kingdom and draws a global crowd as both Ngonis and non Ngonis throng the sacred grounds of Mtengeluni to pay homage to their ancestral spirits. The ceremony climaxes when a black bull is speared and quickly a Ngoni impi slits it's throat and collects it's blood which is carried on the Ngwembe and given to King Mphezeni who then drinks the blood. As it concludes, different kraals or vibayas take to the dance floor to show case their warrior dance which the call the Ingoma dance. The ceremony is ancient and even predates the Ngonis inspirational figurehead, Uzwangendaba Jele as it has its roots in the St Lucia Bay area in present day South Africa. In 1898, the colonial government in Zambia had banned it, describing it as being warlike. For at least 80 years, the Ngonis...

  The late Mastone Mazyopa who reigned as Inkhosi Munkwa 3 with a well known Zambian Business Tycoon, Tom Mtine. Inkhosi Mnukwa III reigned from 1955 until his death in November 2005. It should be noted that his father, Zenase Mazyopa (Mnukwa II) died in 1954 and and there was a caretaker Monarch until 1958 when the righful heir (Inkhosi Mastone) was officially recognized as Inkhosi Mnukwa by then colonial Northern Rhodesian government in 1958. Currently, Donald Mazyopa KaMastone Mazyopa reigns as the Fourth Inkhosi Mnukwa.The original founder of the Kingdom of Mnukwa was dotingly called Chikhenke ChaMshangombe. Tom Mtine, who is now based in Ndola and aged 95 and many other Mtines from this kingdom hail from the village of Lukhalo.

INTRODUCTION In a highly patrilineal society such as the  Nguni , often times, the Zulu, Swati or indeed Nguni women have little or no space in the Abenguni history chapters.  For example,  uNtombazi kwakuyi Ndlovukazi yakwa  Ndwandwe , has   not been glorified fully for the role she played in the rise of her son,  Zwide kaLanga  of the AmaNdwandwe state.   It is the same with Mkabayi, daughter of  Jama kaNdaba , who headed the    Qulusi military kraal  and a  regent of the Zulu  before her half brother,    Senzangakhona  took over. From the time of her father, the reign of her brother and upto the reign of her nephew,    Shaka kaSenzangakhona , Mkabayi was one of the pillars of the Zulu Kingdom.  Elsewhere, in Northern  Malawi , a section of the Northern Ngunis who were part of the Zwangendaba Nation before into disintegrated into pieces following succession wrangles in 1845-18...

THE LEGACY OF MTWANDHLANA MTWALO JELE. In Northern Malawi, there is a kingdom of Nguni origin whose headquarters is called Ezondweni-'the village of hatred' Inkhosi Mthwalo Jele rules this kingdom. But just who is or rather who was Mthwalo Jele? Born in 1833, two years before the Angoni crossing of the uGwembe river (   Zambezi ) at Zumbo, Mthwandhlana Mtwalo Jele was the son of the Angoni Nation's inspirational figurehead and their decorated leader, Zwangendaba Jele of the Ncwangeni bloodline from present day St Lucia Bay in South Africa. Mtwalo's mother was Queen Qutu and she was of Swazi origin from the Nzima clan. She was the young sister of Queen Munene, M'mbelwa's mother.  After the death of his father,Zwangendaba and the succession wrangles that followed, the young handsome Prince, Mtwalo, would also take the South East route. It is this same route that supporters of  his brothers, M'mbelwa, Ndabazake and Mabilabo would also take. This band of Jele br...

The Place of a Woman among Mzilikazi's Ndebele People   1. Indlovukazi: Queen mother or mother of the reigning king. 2. Inkosikazi: Queen or wife of the king. 3. Inkosazana: Princess or daughter of the king. 4. Umama: Mother 5. UGogo: Grand mother 6. Ubabakazi: Paternal Aunt or father's sister. 7. Umamomdala/Umamomncane: maternal aunt or mother's sister or wife of one's paternal uncle.  8. Indodakazi: daughter  9. Umndlunkulu: senior wife 10. Ikhohlo: junior wife 11. Umthanyelo: Deputy wife or additional wife (given to a man by his in laws as part of the bridal package). She carries the seniority of her sister or aunt in relation to other wives. 12. Inhlanzi: Back up or spare wife (given to a man whose first wife can't conceive) 13. Imbokodo: Replacement wife (given to a man whose first wife has died). 14. Umamazala: mother in law to the woman. 15. Umkhwekazi: mother in law to the man. 16. Umalokazana/umlobokazi/Umakoti: daughter in law. 17. Usonyongwana: bridal ass...

A busy market and area named after a Nguni Warrior There is a very famous market in Chipata City, East of Zambia called Kapata market. The name comes from a Nguni warrior who descended from the larger Zwangendaba Nation. His most common name was 'Kapatamoyo' and yet his foremost name which is a Zulu one, is MUJOKWANE.  Who was Mujokwane?  Mujokwane was one of the notable sons of a decorated Induna of Zwangendaba called Njekwane. Njekwane commanded the Zimpofu regiment and trekked with the Mphezeni Nguni group after the division of the larger Zwangendaba Nation.  But who again was Njekwane?   Authors have been divided on the clan name of Njekwane. But what is certain is that, Njekwane came from the house of Hlasthwayo Jele's cousin, Mpange. Prince Mpange had married Manyuwazana. It is in this same house, that a Nguni warrior was born. His name was Njekwane. Principal Wife of Njekwane When he was of age, Njekwane married MtongaJojo and through her, he fathered the foll...

 "Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die" .    His Majesty, King Pontino Khuzwayo Jele (middle) 'cooling' his throat at the helm of his power. On his right is Inkosi kamigolo 'Fongazana Chinyaku' Jele. The Chinyaku chieftainship is one of the chiefdoms under King Mphezeni.  Currently,  Inkhosi Chinyaku Jele, the oldest Ngoni Inkhosi alive and the only one to have been installed by King Pontino; the other Makhosi were all installed by King David Njengambaso Jele (Mphezeni IV). Now, King Pontino was born in 1920 to Queen Justina Tembo and King Gabriel Chiloah Jele (Mphezeni 2). His elder brother was Sheba 'Mbombo' Jele who died whilst still young (one of the sons of King Pontino is named after his uncle, Sheba).  King Pontino ruled as the Third King Mphezeni in a difficult period when the colonial government had banned the symbol of the Angoni pride-the Incwala.The name Pontino is of Portuguese origin and many other child...