THE WIVES AND CHILDREN OF MPHEZENI.

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 Phakati died in 1904 and is buried in the village of Lupoko. Both Nsingu and his principal wife, Mkhuchwa died in 1898, both being shot to death by colonial Soldiers; LT Poole who would later on serve as the Petauke District DC is the one who actually shot to death Mkuchwa. 

3. Mtizwa Soko; another notable wife of Nthutho was queen Mtizwa. She was a Soko with roots from the Pathwayos. In her the King had Princes Nzamane and Mkombo Jele. The first Nzamane died in 1920 during the reign of his nephew (King Gabriel Chiloah Jere). 

4. Faisako; again this wife of Nthutho cannot be ignored for she is the one who birthed Prince Maguya Jele who died in 1922. 

5. Ndawepe; as in the case of queen Tombiyimbi, I can't find her recorded children with the King. 

6. Chipolo/Chota Tonga; it's through queen Chipolo that prince Mthaonga Madzimawe Jele was born. Her village is near to the Great East Road and also goes by the name of Fisheni. Prince Madzimawes principal wife was Lozimilo Msitini from Chiboma Mstini Village. But after the death of Nsingo he had also married one of his brothers surviving wives and even had children in her.

Interesting is the fact that in 1903, Madzimawe had technically and cleverly claimed ownership of the Angoni crown by claiming ownership of the Zwangendaba name stating that his grandfather had appeared to him in a dream instructing him to do so. This request was however denied by both the colonial government and Ngoni elders. Mthaonga died in 1908 and his eldest son Kezala Jere (the grandfather of the current Inkhosi Madzimawe) took over.

 7. Kukuya Thwala; Queen Kukuya was another Key Wife of Nthutho. Her notable son with the King is Prince Saili Jere who died in 1919. 

8. Bidosi; Queen Bidosi was the mother of Princes Jumbe and Mgidi .

 9. Magugu; through Queen Magugu, the King had Mwere. 

10. Dambazo; through this wife, the King had Prince Mgogo (I recently learned that this name may be a corruption as it's supposed to have a letter Q and not G before O).

 11.Lungwanya; through her, the King had Kani. 

12. Zamilomo; through her the King had Princes Ngoma and Zulu. I can't be certain that Zulu Jele is the one who was sent as an advance part and ended up creating his own kingdom in Mchinji. I engaged a royal family from Mchinji (a son of the previous Inkhosi Zulu Jele) over this and he told me that they take Inkhosi Mphezeni as their grandfather which may imply that this is the lineage of Zulu Jele whose father was Nthutho.

 13. Ndoyo; through queen Ndoyo, the King had Prince Zondo. We have several Zondo villages in Zambia and even in Malawi there are villages called Zondo. 

14. Chiseche; through Chiseche the King had Zimema Jele. In Inkhosi Saili there is a very big village called Zimema and the headman is a Jele. Am not sure if this headman comes from this lineage but the likelihood is quite high. 

15. Msachama; she birthed Thunile. Now, it is worthy mentioning that these are not the only children of the King, or indeed his wives. We have even Kalukuku Jere (some say he was Yakufu) who also died during the skirmishes of 1898. 

The author is a 32 year old Ngoni from Mfumbeni kraal of Inkhosi Nzamane. He grew up in the village of Enock Jere and started his primary school at Chingazi Primary School. He would later get a transfer to go and attend Chikando Primary School (formally Angoni school) within Inkhosi Nzamane's Chiefdom. He now resides in Zambia's capital, Lusaka.He can be reached via WhatsApp on +260979088767 or through email (douglasgumbijere@gmail.com).


Mphezeni Ngunis sit in the traditional Ngoni sitting pattern during the Incwala ceremony at Mthenguleni village, East of  Zambia. Their roots are in the present day KwaZulu-Natal province. 

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