adminPhathisa Nyathi
WHEREAS Chief Kgoatalala I Nare and his Babirwa colleagues served as intelligence officers on the southern part of the Ndebele State, there were other officers doing the same in the western end of the state. The Babirwa were not reporting directly to King Mzilikazi Khumalo. Instead, they reported to Nguni chiefs notably Chief Thunzi Ndiweni, the son of Mabuyana Ndiweni whose father was Khondwane Ndiweni, a brother to Cikose, King Mzilikazi Khumalo’s mother.
This time we move to the west where a number of chieftainships never made it to the colonial period. One of these did serve in intelligence gathering in addition to the other roles performed by chiefs and their villages/regiments. The village or regiment in question is referred to as Ekutshotsheni (ukutshotsha), meaning to move swiftly. Perhaps the village’s memory was best preserved by Princess Sidambe (Tjidambe) Khumalo, daughter of King Lobengula Khumalo. Her mother was Queen Mamfimfi Dlodlo, a daughter of Mletshe Dlodlo. Queen Mamfimfi married the king as his surrogate wife when senior Queen Lozikeyi Dlodlo did not produce a child. Queen Mamfimfi Dlodlo thus went to the royal town as Queen Lozikeyi Dlodlo’s inhlanzi.
Princess Sidambe Khumalo, like other Ndebele women, swore by her eldest brother. She used to say, “Ngitsh’ uMankisimane Ekutshotsheni.” We do know that Mankisimane Khumalo, sometimes the name was given as Mangisimane, was King Lobengula Khumalo’s son who used to live at Ekutshotsheni, just like his brother Prince Lobengula Khumalo. Princess Sidambe Khumalo was generally referred to as “uBaba” by other women. This contrasts with “uMntwana” the term used in reference to a royal son such as Prince Nyanda or Prince Sibhamubhamu. When we get an opportunity we shall explain the meaning of the terms “uBaba” and “uMntwana.”
Princess Sidambe Khumalo married Siyatsha Fuyane, son of Mantilingwane Fuyane, son of Mnengeza Fuyane. Siyatsha Fuyane’s most junior wife was a MaKhumalo, daughter of Jani Khumalo. One of Maphumulo’s children was Nqinekile Fuyane born in 1947 before Siyatsha Fuyane died. Apparently, Nqinekile Fuyane swore by Mayenga Fuyane, Chief Mdilizelwa Fuyane’s eldest son who succeeded his father as chief of iSizinda Village. It should be appreciated that Mantilingwane Fuyane and Maphisa were brothers, both being sons of Mnengeza Fuyane. Mayenga Fuyane was the eldest son, hence all the Fuyane sisters swore by him.
This brief narrative serves to introduce us to the Ekutshotsheni Village or regiment comprising, in the main, of remnants of the Zwangendaba Village/Regiment once commanded by Mbiko KaMadlenya Masuku. After the contested succession of Prince Lobengula Khumalo in 1870 the village/regiment was destroyed following a civil war in 1872 and had its members either killed or fled and joined other villages. It is important to note that some members of Zwangendaba Village/Regiment were the remnants of King Zwangendaba Jele’s followers who passed through Zimbabwe in their flight from King Tshaka Zulu during Mfecane. When the group got to the Zambezi River, a section of the Swazis chose not to proceed and trekked back till King Mzilikazi Khumalo found them not very far from uMfaz’omithiyo Hill just north of Bulawayo.
Ekutshotsheni, in later years, occupied the area that included the St Luke’s and Ken Maur areas. In the same area there is a secondary school named Zwangendaba. The Swazis who retraced their footsteps brought with them a lot of BaTonga/BaLeya people that they captured along the way. These included the Mpalas who had been under Chief Gude. It should be realised that the Tonga occupied many areas extending to the Highveld extending between Harare and Bulawayo. The chief of Ekutshotsheni was Ndonsa, son of Mahoha Magagula. Splitting of the followers of King Zwangendaba Jele into two groups was to play a significant role in the final stages of King Lobengula Khumalo’s flight to the north.
Ndonsa Magagula, aware of his relatives who lived in Zambia under King Mphezeni Jele used to undertake trips to that part of Zambia. As a result, he knew the route to the north from Matabeleland. He was alive at the time when King Lobhengula Khumalo fled north. In fact, Ndonsa Magagula, who was later in 1945 to lead native commissioner John Huxtable (Chitemamhuru) to the presumed royal grave at Pashu, guided the king and his party as they traversed the terrain between the Ndebele State and the Zambezi River.
Ekutshotsheni was the western most Ndebele village/regiment which was tasked with intelligence gathering. Ndonsa Magagula knew the route well and maintained relations with the BaTonga. He knew the fordable places on the Zambezi River and the sites where the BaTonga kept dugout canoes that were used to cross the mighty river. The choice of the route to the north was thus not a hit and miss affair. There were several men from Ekutshotsheni that accompanied and guided the king as these men, like Ndonsa Magagula himself, used to undertake visits to their relatives in King Mphezeni Jele’s country.
However, what is of significance here is the fact that this particular Ekutshotsheni Village and its chieftainship did not survive beyond the demise of the Ndebele State. It is a chieftainship that is in the same category as iNzwananzi, iMbizo, iHlathi and several others that were brought to a bitter end. The descendants of people from Ekutshotsheni Village are found under Chief Mabhikwa Khumalo. It did not come as a surprise that when Princess Sidambe Khumalo died in 1958 she was buried at Chief Mabhikwa Khumalo’s homestead in Jotsholo.
In the absence of a chief for the Ekutshotsheni people it was Chief Mabhikwa Khumalo who was the de facto chief.
Ekutshotsheni had been the village for Princess Sidambe Khumalo’s father in his days of youth. Further, Chief Mabhikwa Khumalo’s chieftainship is traceable to Mlonyeni Khumalo who had been appointed chief by Princess Sidambe Khumalos cultural “mother”, Queen Lozikeyi Dlodlo. Chief Mlonyeni Khumalo had succeeded Mfulana Khumalo, iNzonda ebuhlungu, umhlonhlo owema egumeni kwabangwa. Mfulana Khumalo was a prominent traditional doctor at the royal town of KoBulawayo and was known to and trusted by unina womuzi, Queen Lozikeyi Dlodlo, okaNgogo.
Members of Ekutshotsheni Village scattered at the time of conquest. Ndonsa Magagula had three sons namely Matsheni, Tshebhede and Mbuzimbili. Sons of Matsheni the eldest son, that is Nsonso and Sinompo fled to Tsholotsho to seek refuge and avoid capture by the white colonisers. Madekisi, Nsonso’s son is apparently still alive.
Another chieftainship that was terminated is that of Madobha Fuyane. Both Madobha and Siyatsha were sons of Mantilingwane Fuyane, younger brother of Maphisa Fuyane. This could be another example of two chieftainships, Maphisa and Mantilingwane that were descended from the same man: Mnengeza, umfokaMgitshima. Apparently, Siyatsha belonged to the senior house (umdlunkulu, despite its later marriage) while Madobha belonged to the junior house (indlu endala, Siyatsha married earlier). As a result, the elder son Madobha became regent for his younger but more senior brother Siyatsha. The chieftainship ended with Madobha who had the chiefly insignia (icence). Mahoqelana Fuyane (uSeka Bishop) is Madobha Fuyane’s son.
The line for the senior house, that of Siyatsha Fuyane is traceable to a grandson of Wilson Lethizulu Fuyane, Mlungisi.
Princess Sidambe Khumalo was keen to see Siyatsha Fuyane have a son to perpetuate the chieftainship. Princess Sidambe Khumalo produced a single child, a daughter by the name of Pombo Fuyane. There was to be no further issue. As a result, she turned to MaKhumalo (uMasenkwa) okaNgubongubo the son of King Mzilikazi Khumalo. MaKhumalo searched around and found Simangamanga Tshongwe okaMabhede who then married Siyatsha Fuyane. Indeed, a son was born, Wilson Lethizulu Fuyane. Lethizulu married MaMguni (actually a MaMzizi descended from King Mzilikazi Khumalo’s traditional doctor Mphubane Mzizi). Their son was Baker since deceased but his son Mlungisi Fuyane is still alive and has a son by MaMhlanga that he did not marry. He also has a son by his wife MaNcube.
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