Introduction
This article is
about the historical origins of the Ngoni
found predominantly in Mzimba (Jele)
and those headquartered in Ntcheu (Maseko). It is not about the battles that
the Ngoni fought, nor is it about
the succession battles that each group has had to overcome. It is not about the
Ngoni language or culture, although
elements as they impact on this article may be touched upon. Though the article
mentions present day situations, these are for the sake of comparison and
context. The article really does not aim to go into events that occurred after
the 19th century. And
since most of the sources were originally through oral means, it is possible
there maybe a few differences in sources of events and when they happened. This
is conceded. In a sense, this article aims to acquaint the reader with an
overview of where the two groups predominantly originated from. To those who
may be of Ngoni origin, it may be a
revelation, surprise, confirmation, a shock – all depending on the history that
each individual has grown up to know. As a piece of researched and academic
work, it would fail in its purpose if it did not do this. But this research is
on-going. Although it is written in a personalised manner, the sources of
information have been cross-checked and at times triangulated. But like all
research, in order to attain rigour, this work is open to and will benefit from
criticism and views. It is therefore a living piece of writing. The use of bold
is regrettably deliberate as some of these words maybe new to most readers.
The thrust of the thesis of this article
is that the Maseko Ngoni originated from Swaziland while the Jele Ngoni originated from Zululand.
However both may be correct to claim that they originated from Natal, because Natal in the early years was the whole region of South-East Africa. Despite differences
in their origins, the two groups are cousins. The lived next door in Natal to each other before events
thrust them to meet again, but in another part of Africa.
The word Ngoni has been held to be a corruption of the word Nguni. Where used in this article, Nguni refers to the collections of
clans and tribes occupying South Africa,
Swaziland and Lesotho. The Nguni themselves
were invaders, named after their legendary leader Nguni, who came down from northern Central Africa bringing with
them cattle that was non indigenous to the Southern
Africa region.
The cattle they brought is aptly called Nguni
cattle.
The unique click sound of their language is attributed to contact with the San people of the South.
The Zulu, Swati and the Ndebele
are of the Northern Nguni group
while the Xhosa, Pondo and Thembu are from the Southern group.
As used in this article, Ngoni refers to the Nguni that entered and settled in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania after they fled the effects
events that unfolded with the rise to power of Shaka in the Natal region.
At this point it is important to mention
that the Ndembele, like the Jele both trace their roots to Zululand. However, their flight north
was not a joint enterprise and although both run away from Shaka, the reasons were different.
From Swati to
Ngoni – the flight of the Maseko Ngoni
The other day I made a facebook posting
regarding Nhlangano in Ntcheu and stated that the majority of
the Ngoni there are Swati. I argued that actually the name Tsangano as it is called now is a Chewalisation and corruption of Nhlangano. The Chewa speaking people who the Maseko
Ngoni found in Ntcheu clearly
could not be expected to pronounce the uniquely Nguni pronunciation of ‘Nhla’.
Nhlangano means a meeting place, and
is an actual place and town in present day Swaziland.
The Maseko
Ngoni delineate their roots back to the valley of the Usutu River in modern day Swaziland. The Maseko Ngoni also refer
to their ‘odyssey from Natal to Malawi.’ It is important that Natal not be confused with present
day Natal. In the 18th to 19th century,
Natal referred to most of South-East Africa. Swaziland, being next to KwaZulu
Natal would have been part of the Natal region of the time. However the Swati are not restricted to Swaziland and it is stated that there
are more Swati in South Africa than in Swaziland.
The Kingdom of Swaziland is actually knows in Swati
as Umbuso weSwatini. It is also called kaNgwane or Eswatini. In Eswatini, Swazis are not
called Swazis but emaSwati,
and the language is siSwati, a Nguni language. Sometimes the term bakaNgwane
(Ngwane people) is used
alternatively to emaSwati, and this is because history indicates that the Ngwane people entered present day Swaziland around 1600. Other records indicate that Ngwane was actually the leader of this
group and the group later became known as Ngwane. They settled along the Pongola River, in close proximity to
the Ndwandwe people. This is
important because it highlights the closeness of the emaSwati to the Ndwandwe. The significance of being
called Ngwane will be illustrated
later when we discuss the first leader of the Maseko Ngoni. The
significance of the emaSwati or bakaNgwane being cousins to the Ndwandwe will also become clear in due
course.
Uniquely the Swati refer to their king as Ingwenyama or Ngwenyama (the Lion). In Malawi, only the Maseko Ngoni refer to their Paramount King as
such. It is also interesting that among the Swati, their chiefs are never called Makhosi and their King is never referred to as Inkosi ya Makhosi (Makosi).
The Maseko Ngoni refer to their Ingwenyama as Inkosi ya Makhosi. It is
submitted this is something the Maseko
Ngoni may have picked from the Jele Ngoni as they both run away, the Maseko Ngoni from inkatha
and the Jele Ngoni from the Mfecane (discussed below). This is
so because inkosi is a Zulu
word meaning chief or king. It is not a general Nguni name.
Research indicates that the Maseko Ngoni moved out because
they regarded themselves as within reach of the lethal inkatha impetus of Shaka.
Inkatha is a Zulu word
which means ‘crown of woven grass’, a tribal emblem symbolizing the
force of unifying the Zulu nation.
This was achieved most by assimilating defeated clans and tribes. It symbolises
‘unity, strength and arguably nationhood.’
Shaka is widely credited with uniting the Northern Nguni,
especially the Mthethwa and Ndwandwe into the Zulu
Kingdom.
The process of unification however was through military conquest and submission,
and bloody.
To understand why this trek by the Ngoni northwards started, it is
important that we revisit the birth of the Zulu
Kingdom itself. And in doing this we
will have to discuss the birth of the Zulu
Empire and the flight of Zwangendaba Jele.
From small tribe
to Empire, the effects of Mfecane and the flight of the Jele Ngoni
The original Zulu tribe was a small
one. Their King was Sezangankhona. Shaka was an illegitimate son of Sezangankhona. He and his mother Nandi, were exiled and lived among the Mthethwa people. As a young man, he fought
under Dingiswayo, chief of the Mthetwa. After the death of Senzangakona, with the help of his
godfather Dingiswayo, Shaka, took over the Zulu throne, through violent means. Before these events the Zulu, Mthetwa, Ndwandwe and
other groups were generally peaceful; dancing more than fighting! In the TV
series ‘Shaka Zulu’ it was suggested that wars were not won by who fought best,
but who danced best, with their women cheering them on! It does not mean wars
were not fought, rather that they were not widespread. Shaka changed all that. He organised a band of strong fearless
young men he called his Impi. Impi is a Zulu word for any armed body of men,
but is used in association with a Zulu
regiment.
Amongst other Nguni groupings, the
term is also for their regiments, but its origin are Zulu. Impi were not only Shaka’s
soldiers but his trusted bodyguards as well. He trained his impi
in what could be described at the time as modern welfare. With his impi
he caught the neighbouring clans unawares and quickly run over them. The
sound of the impi, stamping the ground before the attack, with their spears
drumming against the shield creating a frenzy was enough to scare any enemy
into submission. Shaka organised a
strong army by recruiting young men from around his tribe to become soldiers. So
even from an early stage, it is most likely that the Zulu army comprised not just Zulu,
but also Ndwandwe, Mthetwa and even Swati.
But Shaka’s
greatest achievement may well have been his plans for expansion from a small kingdom
to a mighty empire through inkhatha. He also started organising the kingdom
socially, culturally and politically and introduced what we can in modern times
call far reaching and revolutionary reforms. But clearly his most revolutionary
reform was of a military nature. He organised his impi into a mean fighting
machine; designing a bigger and stronger shield for them. Fundamentally he redesigned
and reengineered the assegai, a light spear or wooden javelin with a pointed iron into the iklwa
or ixwa,
a name given after the sound that was heard as it was withdrawn from the
victim’s wound.
Previously the spears were being used more as if it was a javelin contest.
Therefore the warfare was not one of close combat, but comprised of warriors
throwing their spears at each other, usually without much accuracy and damage. It
is said the women would determine the winner according to accuracy of throws and
how much were still remaining. Until then it was not very bloody. Shaka changed that. The iklwa
was a mid-range weapon with a characteristically ‘long, dagger like blade that
was about half the length of the overall spear.’ The iklwa could be used as a
stabbing as well as a cutting and chopping (slashing) weapon. But it could also
be thrown. This meant the iklwa could be used at mid-range, but
was more deadly at close combat. Compared to the tradition spear, the charging impi
armed with the iklwa was a beastly sight that would leave most foe shaking in
their feet and running for dear life. Any spears thrown javelin-like at the impi
were easily repealed by the redesigned long shield (sihlangu). The long body length
sihlangu
ensured protection of the impi unlike the short shields which
were custom. The iklwa and redesigned sihlangu were probably the greatest
military invention of the time, and was the turning point to catapult Shaka into a new status, the iN’gwazi
(root of the name Ngwazi). The iN’gwzi was the ultimate
destroyer. The title came because the destruction was one that resulted from
killing (kugwaza). In present day
Ngoni
talk, one hears of mkondo for spear. I know so, because we have one in our family,
left by my father. The actual Zulu
name is umkhonto (from which comes umkhonto we sizwe – spear of the
nation).
Shaka did not only create
military superiority, but also ensure that his Kingdrom was well organised. Despite
his brief and bloody reign, Shaka
was really a big thinker and the Zulu political
and social organisation can still be seen where the Ngoni have settled even outside KwaZulu. Its effects on KwaZulu
are still felt to this present day. His military tactics shaped the landscape of
most of Southern Africa. A clear example is how we in Malawi have come to
accept the title of nduna (derived from induna) to mean government minister or chief’s councillor. This demonstrates
the high level of political development that already existed during the Zulu kingdom.
Events started to unfold with the growth in
stature of the Ndwandwe. Zwide, the son of Langa, who he succeeded as chief, built up the Ndwandwe into a formidable force. When he expanded to the
borders with that of the ‘rival bloc of Sobhuza
I, Ngwenyama of the emaSwati,
Sobhuza avoided war by migrating
north, where he founded the modern Swazi
Kingdom.’
Zwide’s next target in assuming
supremacy among the north Nguni was
the Mthetwa confederation led by Dingiswayo. He tricked Dingiswayo into a trap and had him
killed. Zwide was known as a magician and it is alleged he added Dingiswayo’s head to his grisly
collection of trophies. Shaka made an alliance of peace with the Ndwandwe, most likely I would think, because he was afraid of Zwide’s magic powers. Shaka assumed the leadership of the
reader-less Mthetwa confederation,
assimilating them into the Zulu Kingdom, which was now rapidly
expanding.
Wary of the young Shaka, Zwide sent an army to attack Shaka, but was outsmarted by the young
man’s tactics resulting in a defeat at the Battle
of Mthetwa in 1818. In the following year, Zwide sent his entire army and this
time the defeat was decisive, at the Battle
of the Mhlatuze River in 1819, resulting in a counter-invasion
by Shaka and scattering the Ndwandwes. Other records treat this
as a Zulu
civil war as the Ndwandwe
were largely considered part of the Zulu
Confederate. This not only broke the
alliance between the Zulus and the Ndwandwes, but it also brought the
latter under the authority of the Zulu
Empire and in the process unleashed
a murderous campaign against other Nguni
tribes and clans, setting in motion what later became infamously known as Mfecane.
Mfecane is the Zulu name for the scattering, forced
dispersal and forced migration across Southern Africa. Some of the Ndwandwe chose to remain under Zulu sovereignty while other joined Soshangane and another joined Zwangendaba. A later group joined Mzilikazi. Zwangendaba kaZiguda Jele Gumbi the son of Nonyanda kaZiguda
Jele, was a commander in the Ndwandwe army. The Jele or Gumbi clan were therefore one. His young brother Somkhanda kaZiguda Jele remained with
the Gumbi clan in Kwazulu (Pongola) and their current chief is Mbhekiseni Zeblon Gumbi.
Zwide himself fled and
over the next couple of years attempted to regroup the Ndwandwe.
Shaka built his
headquarters at a place he called Bulawayo
(the place of the killing), not to be confused to modern Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. Modern day Bulawayo was founded by Mzilikazi, a general in Shaka’s army who revolted and then had
to flee north. The Zulu kingdom
started disintegrating after the death of Shaka's
mother, Nandi, the Indlovukazi (mother elephant but also
‘Queen mother’). Shaka is said to have put on his full
military regalia and screamed in anguish, as the entire Zulu tribe screamed in unison-anguish. He is said to have
executed several people on the spot and a general massacre broke out with some 7,000 odd dead, what was considered a
befitting tribute to someone of Nandi’s stature. Shaka really never recovered from Nandi’s death, who he almost worshipped, and was himself killed by
his half-bother Dingane (Dingaan) the same year (1827).
During his reign Shaka was not the lion; he chose a bigger representation of the
animal kingdom and was the Indlovu (elephant but meaning great
King). In fact after he defeated Zwide,
one of Zwide’s children, Sikhunyana sought to succeed his
father. His brother, Somaphunga, realising this, went and
put himself under the power of Shaka. The story was then told
of Indlovu
ethe imuka babeyilandela abakwaLanga meaning ‘The elephant which as it went away those of Langa follow’. AbakwaLanga (was a reference to the Ndwandwe because Zwide
was the son of Langa). Sikhunyana did briefly succeed Zwide
but was swiftly defeated by Shaka.
So
other than be under Shaka’s rule, Zwangendaba left. Others say he
tactfully withdrew while others say he fled. Whichever way, he decided to move
north.
The journey to
settle in Mzimba
The common narrative is that is that Zwangendaba and his followers passed
through Zimbabwe, on to Mozambique before crossing the Zambezi. Others have him passing
through Swaziland. Others have him going to Swaziland before he fled. There is more
credible evidence of the first route and a temporal settlement in Zimbabwe (Rozviland, near Bulawayo)
and Manyikaland where the Zwangendaba group met and had skirmishes
with the Soshangane group before
they split.
It is also undisputed that the Ngwane
Maseko started off from Swaziland, passed through Mozambique before crossing the Zambezi. Because of the closeness of
the Swati and the Ndwandwe-Zulu clans, it is also possible that there were Ndwandwe-Zulus living in Swaziland
and vice versa. In other words, it is submitted that the Maseko and the Jele
groups may well have had people from each others’ clans as well as from other
clans within the Natal area. In
fact, records show that some Swati
joined up with the Zwangendaba
group, and two of Zwangendaba’s
wives were Swati sisters who had
followed them. What is unclear is whether these and other Swatis were with the group in Zulu
land or they joined them in Swaziland.
It is not clear at which stage the Zulu-Ndwandwe group of Zwangendaba and the Swati group of Ngwane Maseko started
calling themselves Nguni again, but
what is clear is that by the time they crossed the Limpopo, they were no longer known by the clan names, but rather by
the larger Nguni name. This may well
be because they wanted to dissociate themselves from events back home and start
a new life. But being warriors they caused havoc and conquered wherever they
went.
The Nguni
(both groups) who came over to Nyasaland
were a rather small band of people, but because they had superior military
skills, they as well as the political skills of assimilating those they
conquered, thereby enlarging their numbers as they moved along.
Other
scholars have described the reasons why the Ngoni settled in Malawi,
as offering an ‘area of refuge’; one would say from the terror of Shaka.
There are many stories of how the Maseko Ngonis and Jele Ngonis trekked north. Others place the
migration as a joint exercise with a split occurring at the crossing of the Zambezi River. Others place the split
before the crossing of the Zambezi River.
Others however, say these were two different migrations and although closely
related in time, were not taken as a joint enterprise. Others attribute the Zwangendaba flight strictly due to Shaka but the Maseko flight as a result of Mziilizaki’s
Mfecane (discussed below).
The joint enterprise story would make
sense from two angles. Firstly, looking at the location of Swaziland which is north of Zululand,
it makes logical sense that the trek was a joint enterprise of sorts, and that
either the fleeing Ndwadwe joined up
with the Swati who were ready to
flee or the Swati upon seeing the
fleeing Ndwandwe decided to join
them. The second reason is that since the
Ndwandwe and the Swati were
neighbours in ‘Natal’, when they
found themselves on the run from a common enemy, it was logical that they join
forces. Those who subscribe to this
refer to a love-hate relationship that saw the two groups having cat-and-mouse
but deadly battles for supremacy leading to a split with each group avoiding
the other.
Mucina says Zwangendaba first defeated Ngwane
before Ngwane went into an alliance
with another group fleeing from the Mfecane led by Nxaba and they revenged their defeat after which the two sides
decided to avoid any more conflicts and avoid each other. This school of thoughts
adds that the Maseko travelled
eastward of Lake Malawi so that the
lake ‘became a natural separator’ to avoid a bloody confrontation with Jele. The latter had trekked
westwards of the lake.
However, others argue that these were two
separate migrations and the groups never travelled together. This would be
supported with records that place the Jele
crossing of Zambezi in the Summer Eclipse of November 1835 and the
Maseko crossing in 1839. But a difference of 4 years may not be enough to conclude
that these were different migrations. Other records have them entering Malawi in 1842. There is even a tale told
among the Jele Ngonis of how Zwangendaba
struck the waters of Zambezi which
separated into two and the Ngoni
crossed on dry land. I would think this is most likely a recreation of the Biblical Moses story and only came about after the missionaries had entered Mzimba.
However, the subject of whether the two
groups crossed together, were together or migrated separately is not the focus
of this paper. However similarities in names amongst both groups may point to
this, but as I have already said, this may well be due to the fact that each
group was never homogenous, and therefore may not be conclusive as all.
I have heard of stories connecting the Zwangendaba trek with the Ndembele. This is not correct and it is
important that this be corrected. I will therefore digress a little and address
this issue. Zimbabwean poet and historian Albert
Nyathi provides a brief history of the Ndebele
like this:
Shaka Zulu ordered Mzilikazi [who was one of the] generals in Shaka Zulu’s army, to go and raid … Mzilikazi did likewise and like the good general that he was, he …
accomplished the mission. He came back and refused to surrender the loot. They
started fighting and Mzilikazi went
down … and Shaka came in hot pursuit
and he went further and then after Shaka
died, as if that was not enough, Dingaan
followed up… Mzilikazi ended up
settling in the Southern part of Zimbabwe
called Matebeleland (Bulawayo today).
So while the Zwangendaba were of the Gumbi
or Jele clan, Mzilikazi was of the Khumalo
tribe, although both trace their roots to the Zulu kingdom. Other researchers do not support the loot theory but
rather that there was a quarrel leading to a rebellion and rather than face
execution, Mzilikazi decided to flee
with his tribe.
Now strictly speaking, Mfecane refers to the period when Mzilikazi wreaked havoc in the Transvaal area, through ‘widespread
killing and devastation’ as a way of removing ‘all opposition’ and creating a
natural border of scorched earth around his Ndebele kingdom.
Back to the Zwangendaba, he led his
group past west of Lake Malawi and
trekked north and landed at Mabiri
in Mzimba. After a short stay they
moved on and settled in Ufipa in Tanzania, at a place they called Maphupo. After the death of Zwangendaba at Maphupo (which means dreams), his followers trekked
back and settled at Ng’onga in the Henga valley. Upon the death of Zwangendaba, there were succession
disputes involving his brothers Mgayi
and Ntabeni. His brother Mgayi seized power but Ntabeni insisted that the throne should
go to Mpezeni, the eldest son of the
fallen King. The groups split with Mpezeni
settling in modern day Zambia while Mhlahlo (who later became to be known
as M’mbelwa) led the other group. M’mbelwa was installed as Inkosi ya Makhosi in 1857, two years after settling in Ng’onga. The name Mhlahlo means witch finder and was
given because of a situation when a piece of hair was found in Zwangendaba’s bear and witch craft was
suspected. Mhlahlo
was later called M’mbelwa which
means buried one. This was to commemorate
the many Ngosis that had died and been buried, including Zwangendaba their leader. Zwangendaba
had three children, Mpezeni, Mhlahlo, Mtwalo. All three were of
different mothers, with Soseya
(daughter of Zwide) mother of Ntuto, better known as Mpezeni and two Swati sisters who had followed them, Munene and Qutu mothers
of Mhlahlo and Mtwalo. Other accounts have Zwangendaba going to Swaziland to marry before fleeing. if this were true, then Munene and Qutu may have been there from day 1 of the flight. Mtwalo was the more senior but he resigned in favour of Mbelwa
thereby avoid a civil war that was looming among the Jele Ngonis. Records are not clearly
who exactly Zwangendaba wanted to
take over. According to tradition, Mpezeni
was the eldest. But others said Zwangendaba
had favoured, M’mbelwa, the
youngest.
But now it is all academic as the succession issues have long been settled.
Among the Jele Ngoni, Mpezeni is
still given his due respect and according to Ngoni customary law, is the only one who can install M’mbelwa. Although M’mbelwa is paramount, he still regards Mtwalo as his elder brother. The Jele Ngoni therefore
made Mzimba their final settling
place, although incessant skirmishes with the Tumbuka, the Kamanga,
the Henga, the Phoka and Tonga would
continue for some time.
M’mbelwa headaurters is Edingeni (royal place). Some have
suggested that this maybe in honour of Dingani, who was Shaka’s half-brother and a prince,
rising to become King after he assassinated his brother. But considering that
the Jele Ngoni fled before these
events unfolded, it is unlikely this is so.
The journey to
settle in Ntcheu
The Maseko
Ngoni under Ngwane Maseko (other
records refer to him as Induna
and others as chief/King) landed at Ntcheu.
But it is recorded that Ngwane Maseko died before crossing the Zambezi River. Records indicate the
crossing was in 1839. He was succeeded by his
brother Magadlela as regent until
his heir, Mputa became of age.
But
the choice of the name Ngwane shows
he may have been, or t least considered himself, of royal descent as this was
the official name for the emaSwati. By this time their cattle
supplies had been dilapidated by Tsetse flies when passing through the Zambezi so they needed to replenish. The trekked northwards,
essentially looking for cattle passed east of Lake Malawi and settled at Songea
in Tanzania, just hundreds of
kilometres West of Ufipa. Amongst
his subjects, Mputa was known as the
Whipper. Another group of Ngoni which had split earlier from the Jele Ngonis after the death of Zwangendaba,
the Gwangara Ngoni under Zulu Gama
moved into Songea where a battle
resulted with the Maseko Ngoni. History of what happened here is
no all too clear. Others record that the Maseko
Ngonis were defeated and pushed out
of Songea. Others say that Zulu Gama realising he was no match for Mputa tricked the latter and assassinated him. And as the Maseko Ngonis were offering their customary sacrifice to the sleeping Ngwenyama Mputa, Zulu Gama and his
warriors attacked them by surprise inflicting heavy casualties and forcing them
to flee from the ruthless Zulu in 1864. The confusion and chaos
and the continuous running battles that followed Mputa’s death rise to the phrase ‘Chipasupasu cha aNgoni pa Matengo’, meaning ‘the pandemomium of the Maseko Ngoni at Matengoland’. Matengo is a highland area located in the Eastern part of Mbinga District in Tanzania.
Since Mputa’s
heir was not of age, his brother Chidyaonga
(eater of gunpowder) led the Masekos
into Mozambique.
For
some time they trekked endlessly in Mozambique.
A song that the Maseko Ngonis used to sing whilst wandering
around says:
Come let us go to Swaziland
Where the people die fat
My father is calling me (Ubaba uyangibiza)
Go home (Hamba
ekaya)
Things have turned against you (Indaba zikuyandela)
In fact this seems to have been
incorporated in the izibongo (praise) for Inkosi
ya Makhosi Gomani IV where these words appear near the end:
We are going where people never die,
There people are killed with age,
There people eat meat and drink milk,
There people do not grow thin,
There beautiful and polite women are abundant.
Let us go to Lizulu.
Hail! Your Majesty!
Hail! Our lion! Hail!
Our hero and Chief of chiefs!
Some settled in Mozambique but the came back to Malawi and settled at Domwe,
where Chidyaonga died, around 1870. Mputa’s son, Chikuse was
enthroned King, although others had wanted Chidyaonga’s
son, Chifisi to take the throne. This dispute resulted in
a civil war between Gomani, son of Chikuse and Kachindamoto, son of Chifisi
and the war only ended with the intervention of an emissary of Sir Harry Johnson, Major Edwards in 1894. However the reason for
brokering the peace had nothing to do with the goodwill of the Maseko Ngonis but rather the colonial masters were worried with inadequate
supply of labour brought about by the Ngoni civil war.
It is however recorded that part of the Maseko Ngoni did not trek all the way down from Songea and some and settled at Kilombero,
where they became known as the Mbunga. Others settled at Namabengo, Maposeni, Mgazini and Mbamba. To say trek would maybe not explain the whole
story. As they went down, the Maseko
Ngoni conquered all they came
across, and assimilated them, especially young men into their military and
women and girls as brides. They may not have been part of the Zulu Civil war but they were as mighty a military machine.
Final remarks
So today if you visit Ntcheu and surrounding areas, you find names that are of Swati origin, and which you can find in
present day Swaziland, such as Hlangano. Arguably however these are
few in number as instead of the Ngonis
assimilating and dictating, it would seem in Lizulu they had found a place of refuge and decided to settle and
instead be assimilated. Now Lizulu
itself is said to be a short form for Lizwe la Zulu. If this is true then
it is very interesting because lizwe la Zulu means ‘land of the Zulu’ in Zulu. So did the Swati decide after the long round trip and all their troubles and
tribulations to identify themselves with the same Zulu empire they had run away from? Or was it the case that maybe
they did trek up to the Zambezi with
the Jele after all? Or was it the
influence of the Zulu Gama faction
whom the Maseko Ngoni had interacted for a while before the treachery of Zulu Gama?
However it would seem one of the most
distinguishing feature was the differences in the customary family law of the Chewa and of the Tumbuka, the bigger tribes which the Maseko Ngoni and Jele Ngoni found respectively.
The Ngoni are patrilineal and
offer lobola as part of the marriage contract. This is the practice
both in KwaZulu and Eswatini. In terms of family law, the Chewa are matrilineal while the Tumbuka, the Kamanga-Henga and the Phoka are patrilineal. This had
profound effects on the continuation of the Ngoni customary law amongst the two groupings. If truth be said,
anyone who has not paid lobola cannot truly be said to be a Ngoni. Three things you cannot separate
a Ngoni man from: his beer, his
women and his cattle (meat). In all this lobola is the unifying factor. So I guess
next time you see at a supposedly Ngoni
wedding (there is no chinkhoswe in Ngoni customary law), chicken being exchanged, you can laugh out
loud! And you may wish to ask, when is mthimba? (the official ceremony when
the bride is escorted and delivered to the groom’s ‘village’).
But I would argue that instead of being
dominant, especially regarding the customary law, most of the Maseko Ngoni seemed to have adopted the matrilineal customary law of the Chewa, such as chikamwini although I am aware of other Ngoni who still practice the Ngoni customary law. I have also noted
that most names in Maseko Ngoni land are not of Ngoni origin. On the other hand if you
visit Mzimba, you find names that
you can also find in KwaZulu and
most of them start with the letter E.
The Jele Ngoni have managed to retain their Zulu names for places in most of the places. The language however
has been assimilated and there is more Tumbuka
spoken across Mzimba than Ngoni. The Ngoni of Mchinji and Chipata are part of the Jele Ngoni. The Ngoni of Ntecheu, Dedza, Thyolo, Chileka, Mwanza
and Neno are part of the Maseko Ngoni.
This is interesting and baffling because I
hear more Ngoni being spoken by
people from Ntcheu than in Mzimba. The only explanation maybe a
kind of battle of a ‘dual citizenship’ of the Ngoni in Ntcheu. Or
should I say split identities? For example having people dancing Nyau
in one setup and then kugiya ingoma in another shows utter
confusion of cultures, unless it is all for fun. I have also heard the saying kutsuka
mkamwa (literally ‘cleaning’ the mouth) among the Maseko Ngoni and this used as an excuse (or licence) to use of
profanity as if it is part of Ngoni
culture or day to day living. I would argue that actually it is not. While Ngoni language is usually straightforward
and candid, using profanity as a disguise that it is uNgoni is a lame excuse
to being profane in public. Next time you hear someone use this excuse, tell
them in their face that mukungotukwana apa.
I have also noted that the Maseko Ngoni have a group of people
referred to Impi. However, my understanding is that these Impi
are not a regiment per se or used in
the actual sense of Impi as in Zulu but rather Induna or councillors.
Now I am aware that Induna is a Zulu
word and not a Swati one, but it is the closest I can associate with this group
of Impi. They are clearly not a regiment because among
the Maseko
Impi are women, something unheard of in the Zulu nation. Women never went to war. I have also noted that among
the Maseko Ngoni, a woman can be
regiment. This is not part of Zulu
law. It may well be part of Swati
law. These are some of the subtle differences that delineate the origins of the
Maseko and Jele Ngoni.
Amongst the two groups, the Maseko Ngoni are very colourful,
elaborate and flamboyant. They definitely know how to throw a good party! This
is typical also of the emaSwati. The Jele Ngoni usually come
out as a subdued lot in their festivals, and compared to the Maseko, seem to be stuck in traditions and
ceremonies that refuse to evolve. I would invite the reader to visit the Umhlangano
wa Maseko (meeting of the Maseko)
and uMtheto
(literally a rule or procedure
for solving a problem but now a ceremony to commemorate the defeat by the Jele of the Tumbuka rebellion led by Baza
Dokowe at Hora mountain
[resolution of the Tumbuka problem?])
to compare and contrast as a way
of underscoring my point.
Where the two groups also chose to settle
may have affected how they became integrated into the political system of the
country. While the Maseko Ngoni joined an area that was already
being administered by colonial elements, for the Jele Ngoni the settings
different and it was only in 1904 that the Ngoni
agreed to start paying tax and officially brought the M’mbelwa domains under British rule.
On 24
October 1904 Commissioner Sharpe, in the presence of a number of Livingstonia
missionaries (excluding the veterans Laws and Elmslie), two European ladies,
and thousands of Ngoni, brought northern
Ngoniland under British rule with
the following assurances: the authority of the hereditary chiefs would be
upheld; they would be able to decide minor disputes among their people; they
would receive annual subsidies. The chiefs for their part undertook to act
justly and rightly; not to accept bribes; to get their people to pay tax; to
obey the Resident and to follow his advice.
But it would be wrong to conclude that the
Maseko Ngoni did not put up a fight against colonialism. The fearless
exploits of Gomani I and Gomani II are well told.
So are the Jele Ngoni all of Zulu-Ndwandwe
descent? Are all the Maseko Ngoni of
Swati descent?? I would say no.
Their leaders may have been but it does not follow that their followers were.
For example, my own father, used to say, we are Ngoni but our ancestors were emaSwati. Was his line that of a
pure Swati lineage? I doubt it.
Cross-breeding did not start today. Does all this matter in today’s Malawi?
Yes, in terms of placing ourselves in relation to our roots for a tree without
roots will soon die. In any event, the fact that Mhahlo's mother was a Swati should forever tie the Maseko Ngoni to the Jele Ngoni. In fact even in present day Kwzulu Natal, King Godwill Zwelithini (paramount King of the present day Zulu nation) has several wives from the Swazi household. I also note that Msholozi, as Jacob Zuma is sometimes known (his clan name) has followed suit. Hopefully in future we may see intermarriages between royal Maseko and Jele households as a way of cementing this kinship. My family law lecturer once said: in African customary law, marriage is not just between two people, it is between two peoples. It brings people together.
But maybe the final remark is this: is it
not interesting that the current Inkosi
ya Makhosi Gomani V was named Mswati
at birth, and the current Inkosi ya
Makhosi M’mbelwa V was named Zwangendaba
at birth? I would think Mwasti’s father,
Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani IV, knew
very well the significance of giving the future Ngwenyama the name Mswati.
I do not have to state the obvious that Mswati
is the current Ngwenyama of the emaSwati
in Swaziland.
For those interested into a deeper
discussion, I would recommend DD Phiri’s A History of the Ngoni Exodus from Zululand
to Swziland to Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia
and Malawians
to remember: Inkosi Gomani II.
Mary R. Lipschutz
and R Kent Rasmussen (1989) Dictionary of African Historical Biography (University
California Press) 257.
Lipschutz
& Rasmussen (n 30) 257.
