Abenguni History

"One of the very first Europeans to meet and systematically understand the Northern Nguni States of  Zambia and Malawi was Sir Alfred Sharpe. Any student concerned with the Nguni History of    Malawi  and Zambia  must therefore make it one the priorities to follow the journey of this man in Africa".    GJK           Early Life of Alfred Sharpe Sir Alfred Sharpe was born on 19 May 1853 at  Lancaster, Lancashire , in England. As he was growing up, his family moved from Lancaster, first to Wales and then to Switzerland and France. His father was a railway engineer, involved in railway construction in those countries hence the movements herein.  He was educated at  Haileybury and Imperial Service College , near  Hertford  and trained with a private firm of solicitors, qualifying as a solicitor at age twenty-three. In 1883, he travelled with a cousin to  Viti Levu , the largest island of  Fiji , to...

Despite the fact that he was    excommunicated    controversially in 2009, h e is a global icon and a spiritual fatherly figure for many. And yet few know of his ancestral roots. Today, we present you with another angle of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo's life. Milingo's birth and early life Although the actual day is contentious, Emmanuel Milingo   was born in June, 1930, in the  Nguni  village of Mnukwa under King Mphezeni, 16 Kilometers from Fort Jameson, named after   Leander Starr Jameson . The fourth child and third son in a family that totaled nine, Emmanuel Milingo was the son of Yakobe Chilumbu Milingo and Tomaida Lumbiwe Miti.  Yakobe Chilumbu Milingo was born in Mnukwa village in 1900 and was the son of parents Mzondwase and Cazaza Milingo Chilumbu. On the other hand, Tomaida Lumbiwe of the Miti clan was born in 1902. Both these parents of Emmanuel Milingo were of the    Ngoni  Nation.  Growing up in a Ngoni societ...

One of the main questions asked by Northern    Nguni s is on whether Senior Chief Magodi of Chasefu district in  Eastern   province  of  Zambia  is a Nguni or a Tumbuka traditional leader . Given the fact that he is on a traditionally Tumbuka territory, many are of the view that he is a    Tumbuka  by tradition. But is that so? Let us answer this quesion and provider the readers with before never seen information on Magodi and his empire.  Who was Magodi? Born in the 1830s, Magodi was a son of Mninitshoba Ndhlovu who was one of the warriors under King Zwangendaba.  Mninitshoba and his people joined the Zwangendaba group in the Usuthu Valley and he was the Ndhlovus inspirational figurehead in this area. A well known  craft/black smith, Mninitshoba Ndhlovu's people are also dotingly known as the  Faphi/Fachi ( where do we die from ) and sometimes known as Msuthu (cause of this fact that they joined Zwangendaba in ...

  "If they ever tell my story, let them say I walked with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die. Let them say I lived in the time of Zithonga, the King who suffered martyrdom for his people and country". A once in a blue moon picture of King Gomani II. He was born Zitonga (child of knobkerries) at Chipiri in present-day Mozambique in 1894. His mother was naNgondo, junior wife to Gomani I, also known as Chatamthumba. His face is On the Malawian fifty kwacha banknote and yet few really know of his sacrifice to his people. He was a descendant of Mputa and Chikuse, becoming paramount of the Maseko Ngoni of Ntcheu, Southern Malawi and those in Mozambique in 1921. His legacy was punctuated as one of the few leaders to have stood against the establishment of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After mastering the basics of reading and writing, Zitonga went to Henry Henderson Institute in Blantyre. He was baptised in 1921, the year he beca...

  A Sacred place for the Mphezeni Nation The songs of the Mphezeni Angoni Nation immortalize a place called ;eMthenguleni'. The Ingoma dancers emotionally sing about this land which is about 25 kilometers from the city of Chipata, Eastern Zambia . In fact, every last February, the buzzword among the Ngonis is Mthenguleni. So why is this so? What is eMthenguleni and why is the place a 'sacred sanctuary' for the Mphezeni Ngonis? The flying hair incident and original name of eMthenguleni To answer this question, effectively, one needs to go back in time. A time not when the Ngonis where in constant skirmishes with the Chewas of Mbangombe. But a time even before the birth of Nthuto Mphezeni in present day Mozambique where he would also be named Sabangwa. So the story begins from the infamous flying hair incident. To recap, Zwangendaba had demanded beer from the wives of Emveyeyeni -correct is Emveyeweni 'meaning place of prominence'- owing to the fact that this was the ...

Looking for a fancy Nguni name for your child? Well, let's look at some 30 attractive  Nguni  names and their meanings. 1. Amandla: this name can be given to either a boy or a girl and it means 'strength or power'.  2. Amile: this is a name for a boy. It is has to do something keeping a structural holding making sure things are balanced in life.  3. Bhekizizwe: a male name, this means 'look after the nations' in the   Ngoni /  Zulu   tongue.  4. Buchule: A Xhosa  name meaning "skills; cleverness", the name applies to both boys and girls.  5. Bonginkosi: a Zulu name for a boy meaning 'thanksgiving'.  6. Butho: looking for a name that associates with a strong character for your boy, well this is the right name as it means 'Soldier' in the  Ndebele  tongue. 7. Cebisa: another fancy Xhosa name for a female is Cebisa, it means 'advice'.  8. Dela: a rare female Zulu name but one that is unique, it means to become whole, com...