Paramount Chief Mpezeni

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Inyandezulu Inkosi Yamakhosi Mphezeni KaZwangendaba is the King of the Ngoni people of Zambia's Eastern Province, East Africa and Malawi's Mchinji district. He is from the lineage of Prince Jele KaMfeka of the Ncwangeni Nguni family. His mother was Queen Soseya Nxumalo of the Ndwandwe royal house. Both his mother and her elder sister, Queen Loziwawa, were nieces of King Zwide.

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His birthright title is Inkosi Yamakhosi [1] or Inyandezulu. The title of 'Paramount Chief' was introduced on the Ngoni Nation after 1898 following the defeat of the Ngonis in their war with the British. This title as argued by Prince Gumbi Kaziguda Jele is not only foreign but a demeaning one as compared to Inkosi Yamakhosi or King.

Most awakened Ngonis have refused to refer to Inkosi Yamakhosi Mphezeni KaZwangenisidaba as a 'Paramount Chief' noting that foreign laws cannot supersede Ngoni customs and laws. More and more Ngonis are calling on the Zambian Government to scrap this title off the constitution of the country and replace it with 'Inkosi Yamakhosi'.

The current monarchy of the Mphezeni dynasty is King Njengambaso KaPontino, who is a great great grandson of the first Mphezeni. King Njengambaso has been on the throne since 1981. His mother was from the Nzema clan and she came from Nyalongo village in the area of iNkosi Maguya.

Inyandezulu Inkosi Yamakhosi Mphezeni KaZwangendaba has Amakhosi that serve under him. These are grouped according to Izigodi (in Zambia they use the term 'Chibaya').

Overview [2]

The Kingship was founded by King uJzwangendaba KaHlwatshwayo, leader of the Jele clan of the Hluhluwe area in South Africa. King Zwangendaba was born in the St. Lucia Bay area in 1777 and his mother was from the Nzima clan. He took over as the King of the Jeles when he was aged 35.

He first married the Ndwandwe Princesses, Loziwawa and Soseya whom he placed in his village of Ekuveleleni (also spelt as Emveyweyeni), which means 'a place of prominence'. He would later on marry more wives exceeding 67 and fathered more than 200 children.

Despite earlier versions that he was from the Zulu royal house, King Zwangendaba was from a different Nguni group altogether. His father was King Hlatshwayo, who reigned from eLangeni royal village in the North of Zulu Land. King Hlatshwayo was a son of King Magaganta. Their lineage is from King Mcwango of the Ncwangeni umbrella.

When the Ncwangeni settled on this coastal land, the Mkhwanazi, Mthethwa, Msweli and Mcambi clans had not yet arrived and some other Ncwangeni clans such as the Phakathi, Mzimela and Msane among others had not as yet emerged. King Mfekaye then instructed his first born son in iKhohlo (Junior house) Prince Jele kaMfekaye to establish himself in the St Lucia area and lead the Ncwangeni section in that part of the Kingdom to which those people became known as abakwaJele, the people of Jele.

King Jele kaMfeka who was also known as Nkabaluthuli begot KiNguboyengwe who begot King Dlomo who begot King Nonyanda who begot King Mangangatha who begot King Hlatshwayo who begot King Zwangendaba and King Somkhanda. King Zwangendaba led an exodus that established the BaNgoni Kingdoms in Zambia and Malawi, with King Somkhanda (Gumbi) returning to the Mkhuze area and  established the Gumbi kingdom.

It is named after the Ngoni warrior-king Mphezeni (also spelt Mpeseni) who rose up in 1897 with over 4000 warriors against the British who were taking control of Nyasaland and North-Eastern Rhodesia, and was defeated. He signed a treaty which allowed him to rule as Paramount Chief of the Ngoni and his successors use his name in the title to this day. [3] [4]

InyandeZulus or Inkosi Yamakhosi (1815 to date)

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References

  1. ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  2. ↑ "THE BEGINNING OF A NGUNI STORY THAT SHAPED SOUTHERN, CENTRAL AND EAST AFRICAN KINGDOMS". THE BEGINNING OF A NGUNI STORY THAT SHAPED SOUTHERN, CENTRAL AND EAST AFRICAN KINGDOMS. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  3. ↑ T W Baxter: "The Angoni Rebellion and Mpeseni." The Northern Rhodesia Journal , Vol I, No. 2, pp14-24 (1950). Website accessed 29 April 2007.
  4. ↑ "NGONI CHIEFTAINCY". The Awakening of the Angoni.


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