Abenguni History

Above attached photo, Zwelitini Khoti Shawa, currently reigns as Inkosi M'shawa IV of the Kuchweni Isibaya. His father, Khoti M’cmillan Shawa who died in 2002, reigned as the Fourth Inkhosi Mshawa.  It's important to note that the name 'Kuchweni' appears not to be an Isinguni name like other places like Mthenguleni and Edingeni with meanings that can be verified by Isinguni language experts. But again the Ngonis from the Mpezeni Nation have for long time called Knobkerries as 'Makuchwa'. So this Isibaya being in Mpezeni territory raises a number of questions of how it came to be called Kuchweni.  So how did this happen and perhaps, how did a Shawa become an Inkosi, a departure from the conversation Jere umbrella?  It is a public secret that the Mpezeni monarch was a well established and organized traditional ruling setup. Mostly, Mpezeni is in these times being helped to rule by his own children; traditionally. But before these children were born or grew up, Mpe...

WHAT IS THE N'CWALA ? Also Also dottingly referred to as the 'First Fruits' Harvest ceremony, the Incwala has it's roots in South Africa. The ceremony dates back way back, even before the birth of the Zulu acclaimed leader, Shaka Zulu.  Even the Ngonis inspirational figurehead, uZwangendaba was born when the ceremony was already a birthed entity. With it, Zwangendaba left his tribal St Lucia Bay area to embark of a dramatic and monumental journey that spanned more than three decades and covered an astonishing 5000 plus kilometers. When he died in 1845, his kingdom disintegrated,forming many sister kingdoms around Central Africa.  The faction led by his eldest son, Nthutho or simply Mpezeni settled in Chipata, East of Zambia. It's this same group that would take a lead and indeed act as a poster group in treasuring the ceremony. From the first Mpezeni the ceremony was celebrated. But in the evenings of his life, a new adversary of the Ngonis that was looming nearby w...

THE WIVES AND NOTABLE CHILDREN OF HIS MAJESTY KING NTHUTHO MPHEZENI JELE OF THE NGUNI PEOPLE IN ZAMBIA  1. Tombiyimbi; it appears she was the Kings first wife, however I can't find her recorded offsprings. Not sure if she was barren or history simply failed to record her children. There is a village named after her just in the Luangeni area, where Mphezen's base is.   2. Lupoko Mphakathi; queen Lupoko is actually the house that birthed the decorated Prince Nsingo Jele who was summarily shot in public after being captured in the Satwe hills where he had been hiding. Before he died he had actually married a woman called Mkhuchwa Mbazima. In her Chioah Gabriel Jele (Mphezeni 2), Ngungu and Chindadenga were born.  Am sure that answers or is it refutes the notion that Nsingu only left Chiloah Gabriel Jele as his only son as of his death. It is also Nsingo who composed the popular Angoni Anthem called 'nguba' which was popularized by singer Angela Nyirenda. Queen Lupoko Ph...

  THE WIVES AND NOTABLE CHILDREN OF ZWANGENDABA! 1. Loziwawa; born in 1800 in St Lucia Bay area,she was from the Ndwandwe  (Nxumalo) house, she was actually a niece of Zwide. She was barren, she crossed the Zambezi river and died in Eastern Zambia before the Boer Angoni War. She was from the village of Emveyeyweni which would later change its name to Emthenguleni. She was in fact a cousin of Soshangane. 2. Soseya Nxumalo: born in 1808, she was a young sister of Loziwawa. Her notable children with the King are Nthuto (Mphezeni), Chinjobvu and Misholo (Mihlolo).She too was from the village of Emvewyeni. She also stayed in the village of Loangweni after the destruction of Emveyweni village by Gwaza Tholes forces. She died in 1900 in present day Zambia after having discovered the village of Edingeni which is still there to this day. She is in fact buried near the site of the old village of Mtenguleni Uka Sosera close to the Kakolo stream; her grave is now marked by an euphorbia t...

CHINYAKU'S NGUNI/ZULU NAME Did you know that Chinyaku's foremost name is 'uFongozana' meaning one who yearns for something? The Chewas corrupted it to Chafongozana. ' A SELF IMPOSED EXILE' Fongazana Jele's original home is not Edingeni as some theorize and neither is he a foreigner in the area he is today. Rather, technically he was a 'foreigner' in the very land that many think was his home. Fonganzana Jele was an elder brother of Teleka Jele. However, he left his mother's area to stay in the Edingeni settlement/chiefdom where he established his Chinyaku village; the village still stands to this day. THE TELEKA REIGN When Mphezenis children and decorated Indunas were now being elevated and recognized as Makhosi, Fonganzana was not around to continue his duty as head of his area, thus it was his young brother who took over and started reigning on his behalf thus the area and the records for the traditional authority did not bear Chinyaku or the F...

  ZWANGENDABA'S ANCESTRAL HOME AND HIS 'MARRIAGE' TO ZWIDE. Perhaps the most travelled Ngoni/Nguni leader, Zwangendaba's exodus is a glorious journey of many that has left many awed. His footprints and those of his people are all over Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Its an epic journey and life of an extraordinary man which has glued itself onto the history pages of a generation. The songs and folktales of the Angoni have continued glorifying him to this day. Today, let us look at where uZwangendaba hailed from and how did he become a vassal or is it an ally of Zwide KaLanga. Born in 1785 in the St Lucia Bay area (others claim he was born nearer to Hluhluwe), Zwangendaba was the son of the Jele/Jere leader Hlasthwayo of Elangeni village. Thus, this was his tribal area! Though not the eldest son of Hlasthwayo, Zwangendaba exhibited extraordinary military skills whilst still a boy and destiny had smiled at him and the leadership campus of the Jele clan had already p...

  KEY EVENTS AND TIMELINES OF THE M'MBELWA NGUNIS! By Douglas Gumbi Jere Mkhosi Jele;the reigning King M'mbelwa V 1826: Munene Nzima, mother of M'mbelwa, marries Zwangendaba in modern day Swaziland. 1841: Mbelwa born at Chulu in the Rukuru Valley in present day Malawi. Its a shocking birth to the Angoni Nation and Munene was believed to only bear females. In fact, Munene's eldest child was Lomagazi, a female. Please note that some authors argue that Mbelwa was born in 1842 when the Zwangendaba had ordered that they leave Malawi for the land of the Ufipas where he wanted to get hold of the Red Horned Cattle. His father (Zwangendaba) had given him the M'mbelwa name in remembrance of the many Ngonis (that Zwangendaba had started the trek with) that had perished and were buried whilst they were camped at Mabili in Malawi. M'mbelwa means 'burial place'. 1845: The young M'mbelwa loses his father, Zwangendaba, in the land of the Ufipas even before he coul...

  CHRONOLOGY OF THE NZAMANE DYNASTY AND THEIR HISTORY! By Douglas Gumbi Jere 1.Mchelile Ntuto Jele: Son of Ntuto Mphezeni Jele and Queen Mtizwa Soko, Mchelile was the first Inkhosi Nzamane. He married up to 18 wives. His Great Wife was Makumbi Nzima from Ndima village of the Madzimawe Chiefdom. Its Queen Makumbi who birthed Inkhosi Mchelile's Crown Prince who was named Chazemba Mchelile Jele. Inkhosi Nzamane I died in 1919/1920. He had collapsed at a place called Nkhuti, between the Kanyawa Stream and present day Chilobwe Village. It is the Qwabes (Khawes) who had lifted him after he collapsed whilst coming from Nkhuti where he used to store his valubles. The body was taken to his palace and he was buried near the Kanyawa stream not far from his palace. 2. Chazemba Mchelile Jele succeeded his father in 1920 and started his reign Inkhosi Nzamane II. He married Mayase Sakala who had a son who was named Kuku Chazemba Jele. The Inkhosana was born in March 1924. Inkhosi Chazemba reigned...

MEANING OF MZIMBA IN ZULU In the Zulu  language, Mzimba simply means a BODY. The district of Mzimba is located in Northern   Malawi .  A Map showing the vast Mzimba district were most Ngonis from the Zwangendaba Nation settled in Malawi after leaving    KwaZulu-Natal  in   the present  eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality . MEANING OF MZIMBA   AMAKHOSI HEADQUARTERS. 1. Edingeni; King Mbelwa reigns his empire from his capital/headquarters which is called Edingeni. Edingeni means 'place of need'. 2. Ekwendeni/Ezondweni; Inkhosi Mtwalo reigns from his Ezondweni base. Initially his headquarters was Ekwendeni. Ekwendeni means 'place of marriage'. On the other hand, Ezondweni means, 'place of hatred'. 3. Emfeni/Elangeni; Inkhosi Mabilabo reigns from his Elangeni base, initially his capital was Emfeni. Elangeni is a 'place of the sun' whilst Emfeni means 'place of death' (its actually supposed to be Ekufeni). 4. Ephungeni/Emcisweni; The headqua...

On 21 June, 2000, King  Mphezeni IV of the  Ngoni  Nation of    Chipata District  of  Zambia, officially  apologized to the Chikunda People of Luangwa for the brutal killing of their forefathers in November, 1835, by the Ngonis led by their inspirational figurehead, Zwangendaba.  The Ngonis had found the Chikundas at Zumbo in present day  Mozambique . Using their boats and knowledge of swimming, the Chikundas had helped the Ngonis to cross the dreaded   Zambezi River  (Ugwembe River in the local dialect) on 19th November, 1835; there was in fact an eclipse of the Sun on this day. When the whole group had crossed over, Zwangendaba had told the Chikundas to follow them on their trek. When they refused to do so, he ordered his impis to slaughter them fearing that they would the same way aid his enemies (The Zulus) whom he thought were still pursing him. Their boats were subsequently destroyed.         ...