AmaNqolo Community

By Gaba Magaqa

This book depicts the culture, history and dialect of a little known clan called the AmaNqolo. The term ‘little known’ is perhaps an overstatement; rather, this clan is not known and recognised at government level.

This book aims to resuscitate the culture and dialect of the clan. There is written evidence that the dialect of this clan was in existence by the year 1592, in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal and in parts of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is common practice, even today, to erroneously classify the clan’s people of the AmaNqolo as either Zulu or Bhaca cum Xhosa, depending on the area they live in i.e. whether north or south of the Mzimkhulu river.

There is also pictorial evidence obtained from the Wereldculteren Museum (Africa) of the University of Leiden, Netherlands, showing the clan celebrating their first harvest (ingcubhe) at Nyanisweni village with their Chief, Sigengane kaMagaqa. Nyanisweni village lies south-west of Mzimkhulu town in the midlands of Kwazulu-Natal.

Readers of this book will also learn of the role that was played by the successive leaders of the clan in the history of Nqololand (aka East Griqualand). These leaders also played a crucial role during the Gun War, when they led a force of 3500 warriors to victory. There was also the Battle of Nsikeni Forest, which negatively affected the royalty of the AmaNqolo and the neighbouring communities.

The author was born in the area and grew up amongst the clan elders who told him stories about the clan. These elders encouraged the author to keep a record of the stories about the culture and dialect of the clan, perhaps even to write a book about them. This is the book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gaba Magaqa
• Release date: Mar 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463570616

Book preview

AmaNqolo

Community

Gaba Magaqa

Copyright © 2020 Gaba Magaqa

Published by Gaba Magaqa Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2020

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Gaba Magaqa using Reach Publishers’ services,

27 Rosey Street, Rosettenville Extension, Johannesburg.2190

072 946 8279; 073 750 2933

[e-mail]; [e-mail]

Edited by Frankie Kartun for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Website: www.reachpublishers.co.za

E-mail: [e-mail]

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Conclusion

Explanatory Notes

Bibliography And References

Preface

It has been a long journey that started in 1998, with a casual visit to a local library in the centre of Johannesburg. The research started the moment I asked the librarian to show me the section in the library that had books pertaining to the history of the AmaNqolo clan. At first, it was not easy to find any such books on the shelves.After a concerted effort of reading every book that had information on the history of Griqualand East, Zulus and the Bhaca tribe, I started getting small pieces of information on the history of this clan. It has always been my belief that as human beings, we need to know our origins, before deciding on the path to the future. The past is always a guide to the future. The clan also needs to know its identity in terms of history, language and culture. Nowadays, this clan has no identity because its culture and language was determined by other people and also by its geographical location. At the moment, the majority of the members of this clan reside in the region that falls just south of the Mzimkhulu River. This geographical location has caused the clan to be classified as Bhaca cum Xhosa, in terms of ‘home’ language at school which is, in turn, a language that was imposed on the clan by colonial, apartheid, homeland and even current provincial administrations.

It has therefore become imperative for the members of the clan to seek their true identity, because it is through knowledge that they will decide their own future. It is special knowledge that will take each person to where he or she wants to go. Again, knowledge on its own does not take anyone anywhere, unless that person decides to take definite action - or formulate an action plan - to achieve the objective of knowing his or her language, culture and history.

‘Knowledge is only potential power. You can organise your knowledge to give you definite plans of action, directed toward a definite end’ Napoleon Hill.

The author has been told stories by the elders in his early years during the late 1950s and 1960s, about the origins of the clan and the size of the land they once occupied upon their arrival in the midlands of today’s KwaZulu/Natal Province of South Africa. These elders were both teachers by profession. One of them, the late Magwayi S. Magaqa, is a grandfather to the author. Magwayi S. Magaqa qualified as a teacher from a Morivian Mission School that was situated in the district of Matatiele in the late 1890s. The second elder, the late Simon J. (SJ) Magaqa, also qualified as a teacher in 1920. Simon J. Magaqa was the great-grandson of Sigengane kaMagaqa. They both expressed a wish and encouraged the author to ‘one day’ write a book on the history and language of the AmaNqolo clan, so that future generations would understand their origins. Luckily, one of them, Magwayi S. Magaqa, the son of Njomane, of Chief Magaqa kaBhudvu, had left some handwritten notes about the history of the clan when he passed on. These notes were then used by the author as a guide, when consulting different books on the history of the clan. These notes threw some light on the names of chiefs, cultural celebrations and language that was spoken by the clan. The language or dialect was Southern Swazi. That is how they identified themselves on the first identity documents, or dompas, that were issued to them in 1898.

I am deeply indebted to these elders for their inspiration. As an author, I wish to acknowledge the assistance and contributions received from different members of the clan and from other individuals. A compilation of this nature could never have been attempted without reference to the works of others. In the preparation of this book, I have had to constantly consult numerous books, pamphlets and encyclopaedias on a variety of sub-topics of this research. I hereby acknowledge my indebtedness to them all.

Special thanks to the following people: Buhle Magaqa, Mzwandile P. Magaqa, Thembuyise W. Nomvalo, Mandla E. Magaqa, Mncedisi V. Nomvalo, Vuyisile Nomvalo, Mzwandile C. Magaqa, Vuminkosi Magaqa and Xolile D. Magaqa.

Special thanks also to Christoph Rippe from the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands, who contributed valuable pictorial information on the cultural celebrations (harvest feast) of the clan, dating back to 1884, which also indicated that the clan was independent and not a sub-clan of another tribal grouping.

Special mention must be made of the Sihlahla family of the Zizi clan south of Kokstad, who corroborated the story about the Griqua raids on Chief Magaqa in 1863. These grandchildren of Bhewula even saw this document or dompas, where the old man was described as Southern Swazi. Bhewula was the son of Sihlahla, who fought in the battle against the Griquas of Adam Kok in 1863, near Kokstad. Bhewula lived until he was over 100 years and passed on in the early 1960s.

I am also extremely grateful to Reach Publishers, which did me the honour of editing and proofreading the manuscript with thoroughness.

Comments and contributions that can lead to an improvement of this work in future editions will be most welcomed from readers, since this book is the first attempt at putting the history of the clan on the map. Members of the clan need to adopt a habit of persistence in order to realise the goal of recognition. Will power and desire for recognition are essential for the clan’s efforts to succeed.

Gaba W. Magaqa

Johannesburg

February 2018

Chapter 1

1.1 Introduction

AmaNqolo clans are classified as a sub-tribe of the bigger Lala/Thsefula section of abaMbo group. AmaNqolo are sometimes erroneously assumed to be members of the amaDebe (alias amaBhaca) group. This mistaken identity has been in practice for more than a century, e.g. when the Trappists from the Roman Catholic Church took photos of amaNqolo during their celebrations of the first harvest, known as umkhosi wokweshama or Ingcubhe (1880-1899). Under John Sigengane kaMagaqa (i.e. son of Chief Magaqa), they recorded these celebrations as amaBhaca’s. Contrary to what many writers have recorded in their history books, where this tribe was not accorded their rightful identity, mostly due to information obtained from government records that have consistently labelled them as Bhacas, amaNqolo saw themselves as Southern Swazis. The original tekeza/thsefula dialect spoken by the amaNqolo clans makes it difficult to separate them from amaDebe (i.e. amaBhaca), as there has been cultural integration and inter-marriages that have also taken place over the centuries. The clan managed to keep its identity as Southern Swazis up to the late 1920s, but in later years they could not continue to identify themselves as such, because government policies dictated that they needed to be incorporated into the Bhaca tribe. Thereafter, they lost their identity. The records of the Department of Native Affairs (South Africa) also attest to this information in their publications of 1898, 1899, 1902, 1904, 1907, 1909 -1919. In these government publications, amaNqolo were officially recorded as Nqolo/Swazi (i.e. Departmental reports 64 and 65).

The name amaDebe (later called amaBhaca) is taken from a Zulu word ukudebeza which means face-slitting. The Lala/Tekeza section of abaMbo consisted of the following tribes or clans; amaNqolo, amaDebe (face-slitting clans; the word ’ukudebeza’ in AbaMbo language is taken from this custom of amaDebe), amaSwati and abakwaMthethwa. It was also common among some of the different sections of the abaMbo group to practise a custom of making incisions (ukudebeza) on the face. All clans under amaDebe were identified by facial incisions, hence they were always referred to as ‘face-slitting clans’. There were also other clans of abaMbo group who were not part of amaDebe, but also practised this custom , the difference being always the size or length of the incision, and they included; amaXesibe, amaMpondo, amaBhele, Nyuswa, Cele, amaBomvu, amaZizi, amaChunu, abakwaNxamalala, etc. ‘Pure’ Ngunis never practised the custom of making incisions on the face.

AmaDebe (amaBhaca) is a reference to a confederation of small clans that used to reside in the midlands of Kwazulu/Natal during the reign of King Shaka, and some were believed to have originated from the north coast of KwaZulu/Natal, around the Lebombo Mountains, on the borders of Swaziland and Mozambique (Walker, E.A., p.6). This (amaBhaca) nickname came into being in 1821, after Shaka had failed to conquer Madzikane, the King of AmaDebe, who had a peculiar magical power that made him able to disappear (became invisible) from his invaders, or enemies. Hence the saying by Shaka that, "uMadzikane uyabhaca". Therefore the word ‘ukubhaca’, as was uttered by Shaka, referred specifically to the magic tricks of Madzikane and it was never meant to re-name the Debe tribe, which was what happened at a later stage.

Seemingly there were no Bhacas before the year 1821, but this nickname came into regular use long after the death of Shaka, which occurred roundabout 1853, when the tribe was referred to as AmaBhaca (Bleek, W., p. 373). Dr Bleek was the first author to record this name (Bhaca) as a reference to amaDebe. This was during the first census of the tribes in Zululand and Natal, which of course covered all the territories up to Mzimvubu River in the south. During the era of King Dingane in Zululand, these people were still called AmaDebe , but there were also tribes (AbaThembu and AmaMpondomise) that did not know who these people were, hence they were once referred to as the ‘marauding tribe’ or sometimes as ‘AmaWushe’ (Gardiner, A.F., p. 276). Gardiner comments about this tribe (in 1835) as follows; "These people are called Amahoash, and originally inhabited a country on the right bank of the Umgani, about eighty miles from the coast, whence they were driven about thirteen years since by Charka, who, in his thirst for conquest, either drove or destroyed all intermediate tribes as far as the Umzimcoolu. Among these were two powerful chiefs, Noombao and Umdingi , who in their turn fell upon the tribes residing between that river and the Umsecaba … Maddegan wished to have united himself with them in these wars for existence and territory, but they would not consent; he therefore made war upon them, and conquering them both, eventually took possession of the districts bordering the left bank of the Umzimvoobo where he and his tribe have now resided above three years and a half … At present, their whole force is computed at about three thousand fighting men - a small army indeed, when compared with that of some of the neighbouring states: but from their peculiar wariness of their attacks - generally in the night - their acknowledged courage and indiscriminate carnage, never sparing either women or children, they have long been the terror of this part of the country; and under their present enterprising chief, were their population more numerous, would rival Charka himself in rapine and war. They are frequently receiving accessions from other tribes - already they are spreading themselves more to the north; and it is not improbable that they may eventually rise to be a powerful nation."

From 1818 onwards, AmaDebe were no longer divided into various small tribes as shown above, but these tribes were now amalgamated into a nation of AmaDebe under the leadership of Madzikane, son of Khalimeshe, of Wabana, of Vebi, of Didi, of Zulu, of Zelemu, of Lufulwenja.

AmaDebe are said to belong to the Thonga-Nguni group of tribes, who use a teketa or tekela/thsefula form of speech. The following clan groups belonged to the Thonga-Nguni family of Embo-Nguni (AbaMbo):

AbakwaMthethwa

AmaNqolo (Dzanibe clan)

AmaLala who comprised the following: abakwaNdandwe, amaFuze, amaPhephetho, abakwaNyuswa, Ngcolosi, Luthuli, Hlongwa, Maphumulo, Qadi, Wosiyana, Nxamalala, Cele, etc.

According to the records of the Arab traders in the early century of 900 AD, there were tribes residing on the east coast of Africa, around Sofala in Mozambique, who were selling gold, tortoise shells, leopard skins, iron ore, etc to the Arabs and the passing ships. The gold mines were situated in Manica, which is

Reviews for AmaNqolo Community

[Obakhe Latsha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have always wanted to know about the history of AmaNqolo and how we came about, and I must say; this book has a very clear description of what I have been so curious about. Thank you so much to the author, Gaba Magaqa, for this beautiful read. Nqolo! Thsayithsa! Nomvalo! Mahlamb'ahlal'etyeni! I really wish we can all meet as AmaNqolo and share this beautiful history of ourselves, because I'm sure a very few of the living are aware of this. Once again, Dzanibe! Dzangatshane! I now have a good sense of who I am!❤️❤️