Nelson Mandela from AbaThembu tribeBrenda Fassie famous singer from Thembu tribe
The Thembu (Xhosa: AbaThembu) are Xhosa people who lived in the Thembu Kingdom. AbaThembu likely settled in their present-day region in the Eastern Cape around the 14th or 15th century. By this time, they had established themselves as a distinct group within the broader Nguni-speaking communities, with their own customs, governance, and identity.
According to the Xhosa oral tradition, the Thembu migrated along the east coast of southern Africa before settling in KwaZulu-Natal. The earliest known Thembu ancestor is Mbulali, whose grandson (named Thembu), led his people from what became the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal to Dedesi in the present-day Transkei region of South Africa. The Thembu emerged as unified people during the reign of Ngxeko/Nxekwa, who united clans living in Thembuland into a single political entity, owing allegiance to the Thembu royal family, or "Hala Mvelase." Famous Thembus include Nelson Mandela, whose father was a reigning nobleman from a junior branch of the Madiba clan of kings, and Walter Sisulu.[1]
In Xhosa, the name is abaThembu (aba- is a common prefix implying "people").[2] The territory of the Thembu state was historically known as Thembuland.
In the 19th century, Thembu were frequently known as the "Tamboekie" or "Tambookie" people. This name was originally the Khoisan language term specifically for the followers of Chief Maphasa who moved into the area west of the Great Kei River in the 1820s. However, Europeans used these terms as a synonym for "Thembu" for much of the 19th century.
Origin
Thembu was known as /Xam bu !e, /Xam and Embo people which makes /Xam bu !e in Xhosa it's Thembu, the O became U for bu.[3]
AbaThembu derives from /Xam ka !ue the meaning of /Xam is an Oryx or Antelope. The original name of AbaThembu was /Xam ka !eten (Antelope water people) in khoemana the word exists as /ehem it's the same.[4]
Thembu's by a large portion spoke /Xam or /Xam ke an extinct language, The Basotho's used to call Eastern Cape (Bathebu ke ing ke ma /Xam), it was known as a /Xam area. AbaThembu never originated from Central Africa the Thembu history never descended they ascended.[5]
uMtikrakra
Mtikrakra is a bitter bush, it's written in Xhosa as Mtikrakra, in /Xam it's (/um ti na) or (/um ra ra) and even in !Orakobab, and /Xam ke the Ra Ra means something that is bitter (!kung ra ra) bitter bush or tree people in Afrikaans (bitter bos mense).[6]
/Xam and Thembu history
The name ǂKhomani is what we know now as Queenstown it was a /Xam land which is now known as Thembuland, ǂkhomani people still exist in the Kalahari, (!kung ra ma ba) which is Upington, Eastern Cape used to be a Cape Colony Queenstown (now called komani) is named after AmaQoma, Qoma means (A tree were a lion would rest). The Ntsundu people are Nǀuu people they exist in Northern Cape, Free State and Kalahari.[7]
The definition of Thembu is /Xam bu !e. /Xam intermarried with Abambo a minority, not the majority of Abambo they build a relationship with them, that's why today the /Xam bu !e, !e is a suffix when people say AbaThembu it is a Xhosa language it's not a Indigenous language in Transkei they speak a different type of dialect which is not their own original dialect it's a diversified dialect that kept connection with Abambo people. The original Thembu's spoke five to six-click dialect.[8]
Thembu's always praises a phrase called Sopitso or Yem-Yem which means (/Xam - /Xam) it connects all the Madiba, Dlomo, Nxongo, and Qwithi people.[9]
AbaThembu is a nation independent of AmaXhosa, and it originates from the eMbo/Aba-Mbo Empire. Zwide (Not of Ndwandwe) was the first man to leave eMbo, and he begot Malandela (not of AmaZulu years before), who settled in Mozambique, who begot Mbulali in 1260, who begot Njanye, who begot Mthembu in the 1300s.
Mthembu settled with his people in a place known as Mbabane in Swaziland and then went to kwaMsinga in Natal where he got two sons, Ndilo and Mvelase also known as Qudeni. He founded the tribe known as Abathembu BakwaMvelase. Ndilo left and died in a place known as Msana in Eastern Cape Ndilo's sons were Ntongakazi (dumakazi), Bhomoyi, Mncotshe, Mdlane, Qoma, and Jali. The houses of Mdlane and Jali, Qoma, Mncotshe were unimportant because their mothers were commoners. The only houses that were respected were the houses of Bhomoyi and Ntongakazi also known as Dumakazi both their mothers came from Royal houses.
Bhomoyi left Msana to Lesotho to a place known as Qacha's Nek he got into a battle with the Basotho's and won his newfound land when Bhomoyi confiscated land Basotho came to ask him to leave so that they could continue to farm on their land Bhomoyi replied (Andizuhamba de ndizobe ndibhentselwa zintombi zabesotho) meaning I won't leave until I'm awarded with young Basotho women, The messenger went back to the Basotho King and returned with fifteen Basotho women this is where Isiduko Zabathembu got the phrase (VelaBembhentsele). Bhomoyi begot Ceduma who begot Mguti who begot Mngxongo and a daughter named Khazeka whose mother came from Mpondo royal family and who begot Ntoyi in the right-hand house whose mother was a commoner.
Khazeka is one of the two woman names mentioned in the history of AbaThembu because of their fearlessness and victories in unifying and stabilizing the Kingdom. Amagorhakazi esizwe saBathembu.
One day, Mtshutshumbe's section of AmaXesibe had to pass by the land of AbaThembu to reach AmaGcaleka. But because AbaThembu namaXesibe had some history, Mtshutshumbe decided to hide his Xesibe identity by calling his people AmaQwathi, named after a cow that was used at his graduation from initiation school.
After they had arrived, they presented a tribute of cattle to Mguti in exchange for land which they got eNgcobo. Mguti then told his son Mngxongo to go confiscate their land, and when he had done soo, amaQwathi gave him cattle that were all black and this is preserved in iziduko zamaNgxongo Ntsundu(these were the color of the cattle).
It then happened that Mngxongo didn't return and his father Mguti got lost searching for him to crown him as the next King and he drowned with his dogs in the Qethume River.
Mngxongo's heir was Mphosesebeni, who was refused his place on the throne by the royal family. And to this day when Mguti and Mngxongo names are mentioned, it gets awkward ebaThenjini because the rightful king was overlooked.
Mphosesebeni's uncle Ntoyi, who had usurped the royal throne begot Ntande and Zima. When Ntoyi passed on, Zima succeeded him as regent for the young Ntande. This is when amaTola arrived led by Mkhume and his brother. They are the ones who introduced the use of spears to abaThembu.
Ntande took over the reins after Zima's death, and he begot Nxeko, Maya, and the twins Qithi and Cube. During the 16th century, Nxeko led the migration from Dedesi to Msana in the Mthatha district.
Nxeko was the first legitimate king of abaThembu because he was the one who assimilated various fragments from tribes such as amaBomvana, amaVundle, amaMpondomise, and amaMfengu to build his kingdom. Nxekwa begot Hlanga by a Mpondo woman of the Mqiha clan, and Dlomo who is the eldest from another wife, as well as twins Balisa and Ndungwana, from a third wife.
All these women had not been classified into different ranks from major to minor. But it was clear that Hlanga, whose mother was a princess, was most likely to be the royal successor.
Just at that time, AmaMfene came asking to be incorporated into the Thembu nation. They were duly received and Ndungwana was instructed to allocate sites to them.
Ndungwana never returned from his mission, instead, he remained with the strangers, enjoying all the respect that was accorded him, and he installed himself as their Nkosi.
Whenever Dlomo slaughtered a cow, he would send inxaxheba (the right hindquarter) to Ndungwana, his junior, and then Hlanga would also send his nxaxheba to his junior Balisa which was a popular costume that displayed royal authority.
One day cows were slaughtered in the homes of both Dlomo and Hlanga. Dlomo decided to share meat with Welangaye, a maiden from the Mpemvu clan, and she burst out in praise of how Dlomo had basically installed himself as King and left shedding tears of joy.
Before the British conquest in the 19th century, the Thembu had an independent kingdom. The Xhosa clan name of the Thembu kings is Ntlazi aNkosiyane.[10][bettersourceneeded] Recent kings, Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo including Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo, took the surname Dalindyebo, after a 19th-century king.
After the conquest, the Thembu came under the government of the Cape Colony as part of Transkei. Except for a few missionaries and traders, Transkei was a Bantustan. The Transkei remained a Bantustan under apartheid and was regarded, along with Ciskei, as the homeland of the Xhosa people.
The invasion of Thembuland
When King Moshoeshoe I of Basotho invaded Thembuland in search of more cattle he went along with his younger brother Magabane and Morosi his great friend and the King of BaPhuthi, Moshoeshoe then instructed Magabane to go and raid for cattle at Ngubengcuka’s Royal Estate while he and Morosi relaxed on a mountain near Ncobo when Magabane was returning with some cattle, Ngubengcuka's regiments gave him a tough time but unfortunately they failed to stop him.[11]
AbaThembu gradually built their regiments as more and more warriors responding to the war drum kept on joining them they attacked Basotho repeatedly but were repulsed every time just as Magabane was about to ascend eLuhewini mountain with the cattle a joint Army of AmaHala and AmaQwathi arrived Basotho with their small axes reaped havoc on the limbs of the enemy but they were thrown into confusion as AbaThembu attacked from behind.[12]
After some time Basotho gave in and sought refuge in a forest Ngubengcuka instructed his army to completely expel Basotho from his Kingdom but one of the men informed him that they had run out of weapons Ngubengcuka then told them to get wood from the forest and make clubs at once the orders of the King were carried out, Basotho were driven out of the forest with sticks and clubs and Magabane was fatally wounded.[13]
When the fight reached Moshoeshoe he put up no resistance and joined the flight into a nearby forest which Ngubengcuka ordered his men to surround at once, evening soon approached and because of the darkness AbaThembu could not get to drive Basotho out of the forest by the following morning there was not a single Mosotho in the forest as they had all escaped in that way Moshoeshoe was defeated by King Ngubengcuka.[14]
The forest was renamed Nduku meaning (stick to commemorate how they were used to drive out Basotho who very nearly perished in Thembuland) at the time when everything was under control in King Ngubengcuka’s country there was no nation that dared to touch him and his power was accepted and recognized by all.[15]
King
Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, son of Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo, became the Thembu king in May 1989; his praise name is Zwelibanzi. Sabata deposed Kaiser Matanzima, whom the government had installed and who advocated against South African liberation movements. In December 2009, King Buyelekhaya was convicted of offenses including culpable homicide, kidnapping, arson and assault. In response, he proposed secession from South Africa,[16][17] and later demanded that the government pay Dalindyebo R900million and the tribe a further R80billion in compensation for the humiliation caused by his criminal trial.[18]
Dalindyebo was imprisoned in December 2015. He was also dethroned and was expected to be administratively dethroned.[19]
Prince Azenathi Dalindyebo, Buyelekhaya's heir, has served as the acting king of the tribe since 2016.
On 23 December 2019, following president Cyril Ramaphosa's Day of reconciliation speech, the abaThembu king was released from prison after serving one-third of his sentence.
Aba-Thembu-Kingdom
King Langa ka?????!!
King Zwide Ka-Langa
King Nanzinzaba Ka-Zwide
King Mzibane Ka Nanzinzaba
King Mbulasiwe Ka-Mzibane
King Mbulali Ka-Mbulasiwe
King NjaNye ka Mbulali
King Malandela ka NjaNye
King Mthembu Ka-Malandela
King Ndilo & Prince Mvelase Ka-Mthembu
King Dumakazi(Ntongakazi) Ka-Ndilo
King Bhomoyi Ka-Dumakazi
King Ceduma Ka-Bhomoyi
King Gxama Ka-Ceduma
King Xlazana Ka-Gxama
King Zambaza Ka-Xlazana
King Zimbula Ka-Zambaza
King Phohloza Ka-Zimbula
King Nhlamvuzana Ka-Phohloza
King Mnguti Ka-Nhlamvuzana
King Ntoyi Ka-Mnguti
King Ntande Ka-Ntoyi
(Born:1525-Died:1593) [Ruled:1546 Till 1593]
King Nxeko Ka-Ntande
(Born:1557-Died:1630) [Ruled:1593 Till 1630]
King Dhlomo Ka-Nxeko
(Born:1600-Died:1661) [Ruled:1630 Till 1661]
King Hala Ka-Dhlomo
(Born:1636-Died:1684) [Ruled:1661 Till 1684]
King Madiba Ka-Hala
(Born:1660-Died:1722) [Ruled:1684 Till 1722]
King Thatho Ka-Madiba
(Born:1688-Died:1748) [Ruled:1722 Till 1748]
King Zondwa ka-Thatho
(Born:1724-Died:1776) [Ruled:1748 Till 1776]
King Ndabazenyamakazi Ka-Zondwa
(Born:1748-Died:1808) [Ruled:1776 Till 1808]
King Ngubengcuka(Vusani)ka-Ndabazenyamakazi
(Born:1790-Died:1831) [Ruled:1808 Till 1831]
King Mthikrakra Ka-Ngubengcuka(Vusani)
(Born:1818-Died:1849) [Ruled:1838 Till 1849]
King Ngangeizwe Ka-Mthikrakra
(Born:1840-Died:1884) [Ruled:1861 Till 1884]
King Dalindyebo Ka-Ngangeizwe
(Born:1865-Died:1920) [Ruled:1884 Till 1920]
King Jongilizwe Ka-Dalindyebo
(Born:1902-Died:1929) [Ruled:1924 Till 1929]
King Sabatha Ka-Jongilizwe
(Born:1928-Died:1986) [Ruled:1954 Till 1986]
King Zwelinbanzi Ka-Sabatha
(Born:1964-Alive:Aging) [Ruling:Since 1989 Till Present-Day]
Moshoeshoe I was the first king of Lesotho. He was the first son of Mokhachane, a minor chief of the Bamokoteli lineage, a branch of the Koena (crocodile) clan. In his youth, he helped his father gain power over some other smaller clans. At the age of 34 Moshoeshoe formed his own clan and became a chief. He and his followers settled at the Butha-Buthe Mountain. He became the first and longest-serving King of Lesotho in 1822.
Mthatha ; Xhosa:[ḿ̩ˈtʰâːtʰà], alternatively rendered Umtata, is the main city of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in Eastern Cape province of South Africa and the capital of OR Tambo District Municipality. The city has an airport, previously known as the K. D. Matanzima Airport after former leader Kaiser Matanzima. Mthatha derives its name from the nearby Mthatha River which was named after the sneezewood (umtati) trees, famous for their wood and medicinal properties.
The Mpondo People, or simply Ama-Mpondo, is a kingdom in what is now the Eastern Cape. It was established in 1224. The Ama-Mpondo Nation was first ruled by its founder who was King Mpondo kaNjanya who lived around and later the 'Ama-Nyawuza' clan, by nationality referred to themselves as 'Ama-Mpondo'. They are related to other Aba-Mbo kingdoms and chiefdoms in South Africa.
Qunu is a Xhosa rural village in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, 32 km (20 mi) south-west of Mthatha on the N2 national route.
Iziduko (pl.) in Xhosa are family names that are considered more important than surnames among Xhosa people. Many Xhosa persons can trace their family history back to a specific male ancestor or stock. Mentioning the clan name of someone is the highest form of respect, and it is considered polite to enquire after someone's clan name on meeting. The clan name is also sometimes used as an exclamation by members of that clan.
Hintsa ka Khawuta, also known as Great or King Hintsa, was the king of the Xhosa Kingdom, founded by his ancestor, King Tshawe. He ruled from 1820 until his death in 1835. The kingdom at its peak, during his reign stretched from the Mbhashe River, south of Mthatha, to the Gamtoos River, in the Southern Cape.
King Sarhili was the King of Xhosa nation from 1835 until his death in 1892 at Sholora, Bomvanaland. He was also known as "Kreli", and led the Xhosa armies in a series of frontier wars.
King Zwelonke kaXolilizwe was a South African royal and King of the Xhosa people. He became king on 1 January 2006. Zwelonke was born at Nqadu Great Palace in Willowvale in the Eastern Cape to Xolilizwe Mzikayise Sigcawu and Nozamile.
The Nguni people are a linguistic cultural group of Bantu cattle herders who migrated from central Africa into Southern Africa, made up of ethnic groups formed from iron age and proto-agrarians, with offshoots in neighboring colonially-created countries in Southern Africa. Swazi people live in both South Africa and Eswatini, while Ndebele people live in both South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The Bhaca people, or amaBhaca, are an Nguni ethnic group in South Africa.
The Rharhabe House is the second senior house of the Xhosa Kingdom. Its royal palace is in the former Ciskei and its counterpart in the former Transkei is the Gcaleka, which is the great house of Phalo.
Lwandile Zwelenkosi Matanzima was a South African clan leader and ruler as king of Western Thembuland.
The Gcaleka House is the Great house of the Xhosa Kingdom in what is now the Eastern Cape. Its royal palace is in the former Transkei and its counterpart in the former Ciskei is the Rharhabe, which is the right hand house of Phalo.
King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo KaSabata, reign name Zwelibanzi, is the king of the abaThembu people of South Africa since the late 1980s to present day. Dalindyebo is the son of the previous king of the AbaThembu King Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo, he is a direct descendant of King Dhlomu KaNxeko who founded the AmaDlomo dynasty, and currently the ruler of bakwaDalindyebo lineage.
Thembuland, Afrikaans: Temboeland, is a natural region in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Its territory is the traditional region of the abaThembu.
King Madzikane was the founder and a King of the amaBhaca nation. He was the son of the Zelemu King Khalimeshe kaWabana.
Matiwane ka Masumpa, son of Masumpa, was the king of an independent Nguni-speaking nation, the amaNgwane, a people named after Matiwane's ancestor Ngwane ka Kgwadi. The amaNgwane lived at the headwaters of the White Umfolozi, in what is now Vryheid in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The cunning of Matiwane would keep the amaNgwane one step ahead of the ravages of the rising Zulu kingdom, but their actions also set the Mfecane in motion. After his nation was ousted from their homeland by Zwide with Shaka, Matiwane and his armies clashed with neighboring nations as he attempted to nourish his people. Eventually he fled South into lands occupied by abaThembu, amaMpondo and the neighboring Xhosa nations, which ultimately teamed up with the British and got his nation dismantled and scattered as smaller splinters at the Battle of Mbholompo in what is today Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. In his exodus from Mthatha, Matiwane and the biggest of the amaNgwane splinters was sheltered by baSotho but eventually had to return to his country, Ntenjwa, which he had settled briefly upon fleeing from his old country on uMfolozi omhlophe. Being back at Ntenjwa put a very much weakened amaNgwane and the king, Matiwane, within easy reach of the Zulu nation he had fled from. Matiwane had to then go make peace with the Zulu king, now Dingane, successor to Shaka. This despotic ruler put Matiwane to death shortly after Matiwane sought peace with the amaZulu.
The AmaNdlambe or the Ndlambe is a Xhosa principality located in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Founded by Prince Ndlambe, son of King Rharhabe and grandson of King Phalo, Ndlambe's advisors and strong army were known as the 'AmaNdlambe'. Prince Ndlambe was also the uncle of King Hintsa.
Chief Falo kaMgudlwa was a Chief of AmaJumba Clan, of the abaThembu people near Qhumanco, Ngcobo. His household was based at Lucwecwe.
The Mpondomise people, also called Ama-Mpondomise, are a Xhosa-speaking people. Their traditional homeland has been in the contemporary era Eastern Cape province of South Africa, and during apartheid they were located both in the Ciskei and Transkei region. Like other separate Xhosa-speaking kingdoms such as Aba-Thembu and Ama-Mpondo, they speak Xhosa and are at times considered as part of the Xhosa people.
↑ Compare: "Intrigue in the royal household as King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo sits in jail". Times Live. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-01. In terms of laws governing traditional authorities, he also had to be administratively dethroned. This involved President Jacob Zuma withdrawing the certificate that recognized him as a king and cutting off the benefits that went with his status. [...] Mtirara said Zuma gave Dalindyebo a chance to say something when the certificate was about to be withdrawn, but he chose to go to court instead. This meant the matter of withdrawing the king's certificate still had to be dealt with.
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