Royal Khumalo daughters become mothers of chiefs: Their precedence operationalised

BEFORE furnishing examples where the royal Khumalo daughters enjoyed precedence over other chiefs’ wives we need to refer to one case where seniority was based on a man’s role within the Ndebele State. The man was Gwabalanda Mathe referred to as Kabalanto in Afrikaner sources. Chief Gwabalanda Mathe was King Mzilikazi Khumalo’s chief of chiefs, indunankulu. He lived at Mhlahlandlela and his chieftainship lineage still exists in the Umzingwane District.

Chief Gwabalanda Mathe, after whom a suburb in Bulawayo is unofficially named, was leader of the aMhlophe section and was among those that accompanied the king on his westward journey as far as the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans: utshani bude buseMahalihali, kabutshi nakutsha, bothi nyakana butshayo, buyokutsha nemitsha yamadoda.

These lines are an excerpt from King Mzilikazi Khumalo’s praises which go to demonstrate that the king went as far as the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in present day Botswana. One Ndiweni man was also given the name Mahalihali, obviously adjusted to Ndebele language dictates.

A daughter of Chief Gwabalanda Mathe, uMhlangandlovu, was married to Chief Manyakavula Masuku son of Chief Sifo Masuku the first chief of aMatshetshe, abathwali bophahla. Apparently, Chief Manyakavula Masuku had married a certain wife whose identity I have not established yet. The chief later married the said daughter of Chief Gwabalanda Mathe. It was then decided Chief Gwabalanda Mathe’s daughter should take precedence over the first wife, as the umdlunkulu.

The eldest son of Chief Gwabalanda Mathe’s daughter was Ngundu Masuku. That effectively meant Chief Manyakavula Masuku’s eldest son did not succeed him. Pastor Siphelo Masuku of the Seventh Day Adventist Church(SDA) was a son of that disqualified son on account of being of a lesser socio-political status in relation to Chief Gwabalanda Mathe’s daughter. Ngundu Masuku became the chief of aMatshtshe and married, as his first wife, one MaKhumalo, daughter of Prince Mbehane Khumalo one of King Mzilikazi Khumalo’s sons. Unfortunately, MaKhumalo could not conceive, prompting Chief Ngundu Masuku to get a second wife, one MaGumede whose son was named Mzimuni, muzi muni ongelamntwana? In forthcoming installment we shall deal with this particular anomalous succession procedure which was occasioned by Chief Ngundu Masuku rare initiative or innovation.

Now let us turn to some cases where royal Khumalo daughters preceded other wives. We have already made reference to the case of Mehlomakhulu Dlodlo where his third wife Princess Bhitshi Khumalo, a daughter of King Mzilikazi and Queen Loziba Thebe, okaPhahlana took precedence over Damasane his son by MaKhumalo of the iNzonda section.

Further, the same son also took precedence over Mehlomakhulu’s son Msindazi whose mother was a daughter of King Mzilikazi Khumalo’s daughter, one Princess Londlela. This case illustrates the pecking order with regard to two royal daughters, one a direct daughter of King Mzilikazi , and another a daughter of King Mzilikazi’s son, and then finally an iNzonda daughter’s son.

The story of Princess Nedlana Khumalo, daughter of King Mzikikazi Khumalo, has been narrated several times where she preceded Chief Faku Ndiweni’s first wife, MaThebe, okaMkhithika. We need not belabour the point here. We have also made reference to Princess Makhwa Khumalo who got married to the Godlwayo Chief Mthikana Mafu and the eldest qualifying son was Maduna.

For now let us deal with one more case before dealing with a few exceptions. Chief Mazwi Gumede was a famous chief during the reign of King Mzilikazi. His father was one Zimema Gumede, a son of Mdlankunziyedwa. After the demise of the Ndebele State Chief Mazwi Gumede’s son, Menyezwa still presided over his father’s people in the Estate area west of Bulawayo. They were later evicted to just north of Lupane. Once again, they were moved further northeast to Dongamuzi where Chief Menyezwa Gumede’s area of jurisdiction embraced Dandanda.

Zimema Gumede married one Singaphi Khumalo and the eldest qualifying son was Mazwi Gumede. Chief Mazwi Gumede married Ncoza Khumalo.

The chief married three more wives two of them being Khumalo daughters. Chief Mazwi Gumede died in 1924 and was succeeded by son Menyezwa. Khongo, a younger brother of Menyezwa Gumede acted as regent for the young Johnson Gumede who would later take over from his late father, Chief Menyezwa Gumede. On the same note we could take note that Chief Mazwi Gumede’s eldest child was Makhazana, a woman who was passed over.

However, there were instances when the royal Khumalo daughters’ precedence was not followed during the colonial perod. We begin with the case of Chief Maphisa Fuyane of iSizinda.

His first wife was a MaMhlophe whose daughter was Mdilizelwa. Later, Chief Maphisa Fuyane married a MaKhumalo who was King Mzilikazi Khumalo’s daughter. Her eldest qualifying son was Ngenisa. According to Ndebele traditional succession rules Ngenisa would have taken over following the death of Chief Maphisa Fuyane, his father.

An informant indicated that it was Chief Maphisa who overruled the known traditional succession procedure. Apparently, this may not be the real reason why the procedure was ignored. What we should be cognisant of is that Chief Maphisa Fuyane lived into the colonial period.

When the 1896 iMfazo war broke out Chief Maphisa Fuyane did not participate in the war on the side of the Ndebele. He remained loyal to the white colonists, alongside Chief Mazwi Gumede and a few other Ndebele chiefs. In the circumstances, he could dictate his will and get away with it.

As a result, Mdilizelwa succeeded him as chief, obviously with support from the white colonists. It was payback time for his loyalty.

Another case, also taking place in the post-colonial period involves the Dakamela chieftainship in Nkayi. We should of course be aware it was a chieftainship with no link to the erstwhile Ndebele State.

Celimbuya Ncube had his parents living in the Zwangendaba Village under the leadership of Chief Mbiko Masuku, umfokaMadlenya. As we know, that village opposed King Lobengula Khumalo’s ascendancy to the royal throne following the demise of King Mzilikazi Khumalo.

In the ensuing civil war, King Lobengula emerged was victorious. Chief Mbiko Masuku and his wife Princess Zinkabi Khumalo were killed. The residents of the village were scattered with some fleeing to the Transvaal/Limpopo Province ( ePhugeni) and others being absorbed into other villages within the Ndebele State.

The process of joining other villages is referred to as ukucela imbuya, hence the name of the man, Celimbuya. Imbuya is a type of vegetable that grows mostly close to cattle byres.

The original Dakamela Ncube was a well-known traditional doctor who participated in the spiritual interventions to ensure the Shangani River swelled during the night of 2nd December 1893, a feat that saved the Ndebele monarch who was not far away. The Dakamelas had been living at KoBabambeni a village just east of iSiphongo Hill (an area characterised by the black clays) just west of the Bulawayo-Inyathi road.

Chief Dakamela Ncube, actually Myinga Ncube, initially married an iNzonda Khumalo wife (a daugter of Manja Khumalo who looked after Prince Nguboyenja Khumalo in the Sunnyside area in Bulawayo). Later, Chief Dakamela Ncube married another MaKhumalo wife but a more royal one as she was a daughter of Wotshi Khumalo.

However, Chief Dakamela Ncube was succeeded, upon his death, by a son by the first MaKhumalo and not the royal MaKhumalo. This is another yet another known case where known Ndebele succession rules were flouted. Resently a Mrs Dlodlo, daughter of Chief Myinga Dakamela is acting as regent.