Prince Malambule was the half-brother of King Mswati II and regent of Eswatini from 1836 until Mswati assumed the throne in 1840. He was a senior son of King Sobhuza I with Queen LaVumisa Ndwandwe. [1]
Prince Malambule | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Died | Swaziland |
| Title | Prince |
| Children | Princess Lozinga |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | King Mswati II (half-brother) |
After the death of Sobhuza I in 1836, Malambule assumed the role of regent, governing alongside Queen Lojiba Simelane. He was supported by Sobhuza I's brother, Prince Malunge, and his son, Prince Somcuba, until Mswati II came of age in 1840. [2]
Both Malambule’s mother and King Mswati II's mother, Queen Tsandzile Ndwandwe, were from the Ndwandwe royal house of King Zwide kaLanga. LaVumisa was the daughter of Prince Vumisa, a brother of King Zwide, while Tsandzile was Zwide's own daughter. [3]
Their marriages to King Sobhuza were arranged to end the conflict between King Zwide and King Sobhuza. It was believed that becoming blood relatives would prevent further hostilities. Additionally, Prince Pholile, a daughter of King Sobhuza, was given in marriage to King Zwide. [2]
When Mswati reached maturity and was ready to assume authority, Malambule refused to relinquish power, leading to conflict. Some accounts suggest that Mswati uncovered a plot by Malambule to kill him, while others claim Malambule had grown too powerful and was unwilling to step aside. [4] Others suggest that upon handing over power, Malambule defiantly took a large number of royal cattle, known as Ludlambedlu. [5]
During Sobhuza’s illness, LaVumisa had attempted to persuade him to consider Malambule as his successor, arguing that a child-king could bring instability to Swaziland. Malambule, already a grown man, was seen as a strong candidate. Sobhuza initially agreed but later changed his mind upon recovering, ultimately naming Mswati II—Tsandzile's son—as heir. [4]
The power struggle between the two brothers ended with Malambule's expulsion from the royal family. After his defeat, he fled in 1847 with his brothers, Princes Tsekwane, Fokoti, Sidubela, and Ndlela, seeking refuge with Zulu King Mpande. While in Zululand, Malambule launched several unsuccessful attacks on Mswati, raiding his cattle. However, he later fell out with Mpande and returned to Swaziland. [6]
Upon their return, Malambule and his brothers sought refuge with the Kunene people near Mahamba. Mswati II learned of their presence there and sent 1,200 warriors to punish the Kunene for harbouring Malambule. The Kunene fled and sought refuge at the nearby Methodist mission station, established in 1844 by James Allison and Richard Giddy. [6] [7] During a Sunday service attended by hundreds, the Swazi regiments attacked the mission, killing dozens, including women and children. However, the missionaries were spared, as Mswati had warned against harming them. [8]
Following the massacre, the surrounding area was largely abandoned, and one of the mission's outstations was burned down. Feeling unsafe, the missionaries left Swaziland with several converts in September 1846, relocating to Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. For decades afterward, Swaziland remained closed to missionaries. It was only after King Mbandzeni took the throne in 1875 that churches were allowed to return. [8] [5] [4]