M'MBELWA HISTORICAL EVENTS AND DATES OF OCCURRENCE

 KEY EVENTS AND TIMELINES OF THE M'MBELWA NGUNIS!

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 could reach age five. Lomagazi represents his young brother in the funeral rites for the Royal Ngoni Princes.
1849: Mgai, the universally accepted the regent of the M'mbelwa faction after the death of Zwangendaba, dies in Sukuma country of present day Tanzania. In the same year, M'mbelwa adherents are sent to bring back Zwangendaba's decorated army general, Zulu Gama who had ceded from the Angoni Nation. They catch up with him at a place near Old Langenburg. Zulu Gama shows that he is still a military genius by annihilating this M'mbelwa group.
1850: As it is now apparent that the Angoni Nation can no longer stay together, M'mbelwa's support base with those of other sons of Zwangendaba like Mabilabo, Ndabazakhe and Mtwalo take the South East route whilst Mphezeni and Mpherembe take the South West route.

1855: M'mbelwa and his band of brothers reach the Tumbuka territory of Mkhamanga in present day Malawi; Mount Hora is not far away.

1857: Mbelwa's Angoni at Ngonga in the Henga Valley. Mbelwa officially crowned as King. At this function, as many as 5000 plus Amabutho (impis) from the Mtwalo and Mbelwa sides had been all armed not knowing if Mtwalo would refuse to be under his 'young brother'. It was a sign of relief when Mtwalo stood up and hugged his brother, signaling that the ceremony could continue and he had no ill feelings for his brother.

1873: Birth of M'mbelwa's eldest son, Chindi (not from the Great wife).
1875: Birth of Mbalekelwa Chimphepo-Jele, more commonly known as Chimutunga, Mbelwa's second born son and the crown Prince who would succeed him. In the same year, another son of M'mbelwa named Mzikubola was born in a different house.

1880: The Tumbuka Massacre at Mount Hora by the armies of Mbelwa.
1891: End of an era as Mbelwa dies aged 51 having reigned for 34 years.
1895: Mbalekelwa Chimphepo-Jele succeeds his father and starts his 19 year reign.
The Author is a 32 year old Ngoni from Zambia. He was born in Ngoniland and did his primary school from Chingazi and Chikando Primary schools in the Emfumbeni Isibaya of Inkhosi Nzamane. He is currently residing in the Zambian capital, Lusaka. He can be reached via Whatsapp +260979088767 or through the email: douglasgumbijere@gmail.com.

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