Online Reporter
Mzala Tom
The Ndebele state under King Lobhengula was not spared of sex scandals involving the ruling elite. The three memorable scandals involved chiefs Gampu Sithole, Tshibhini Gwebu and one warrior Mveleleni Mahlangu.
During the reign of King Lobhengula, he sought to strengthen ties with the Gasa/Shangani kingdom. To do so, King Lobhengula married Princess Xhwalile Nxumalo the daughter of King Mzila of the Gasa kingdom.
In return King Lobhengula offered his most beautiful daughter Princess Sixubhuzelo. However, before the princess could be delivered to the Gasa monarch, she vanished! This created a major crisis in the royal corridors! The beautiful princess was missing!
The king’s intelligence unit investigated the matter diligently. Their findings were that Princess Sixubhuzelo was having sexual relations with prominent Chief Gampu Sithole of eMagogweni regiment.
As the intelligence unit was closing in on him, Chief Gampu Sithole who had hidden his lover in a secret location after a tip off, eloped with her to Transvaal in the middle of the night thus avoiding apprehension. Sithole thus shattered the planned royal/political marriage.
After a few seasons when the king’s wrath had subsided Sithole returned and reconciled with the king. His chieftaincy status was restored and his marriage to Sixubhuzelo was formalised. The
Gampu Sithole chieftaincy is still in existence to date in Tsholotsho.
When King Lobhengula married Princess Xhwalile Nxumalo of the Gasa kingdom, as per Nguni customs, she was sent with other royal princesses to accompany her to her new home. The queen and the royal maidens were settled at Emzinyathini.
Emzinyathini fell under Chiefs Mkhaliphi Khumalo and Tshibhini Gwebu who alternated control of the territory. The Khumalo and Gwebu houses had acrimonious relations.
When the Gasa princess and royal maidens settled at Emzinyathini intelligence sources got tip-offs that Chief Tshibhini Gwebu the son of Zulu was frequenting the queen’s quarters at odd hours and in an unusual manner breaching royal protocol and decorum.
Investigations later revealed that the chief was having affairs with some of the royal maidens that had accompanied Princess Xhwalile.
The chief was summoned to the royal quarters where he was questioned and reprimanded for his immoral conduct. He, however, strongly denied the allegations and accused Chief Mkhaliphi
Khumalo of slandering him in order to destroy him and take full control of Emzinyathini.
Due to lack of tangible evidence Chief Gwebu survived the wrath of King Lobengula. He later named his son Mangamani/Mangabani, challenging his trial and cementing his victory! The Gwebu chieftaincy is still in existence and in 1927 it was relocated from eSigodini to Buhera.
The scandal involving Mveleleni Mahlangu happened during the reign of King Mzilikazi. Mveleleni was part of the Ndebele under Magodonga Mahlangu, who were defeated by Mzilikazi and conscripted into a regiment called iZimpangele.
Mveleleni was in the group that travelled with Gundwane Ndiweni. Mveleleni’s wife, of the Mabhena clan, gave birth to a son who was named Sivalo. However, Sivalo never got to see his father
Mveleleni because of his alleged sexual scandals.
Mveleleni was known to be having sexual relations with some royal wives during the short reign of Nkulumane. One day, news of the imminent return of Mzilikazi reached the community. Upon hearing the news and fearing death, Mveleleni fled to the south and never returned again.
Mveleleni escaped the wrath of Mzilikazi. The offending queens were executed. Mveleleni’s son Sivalo grew up to become a prominent chief and leader under king Lobhengula. The Sivalo Mahlangu chieftaincy is still in existence today in Nkayi.
