Embhuleni is a royal village in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. It is located in Badplaas and is the home of the Chief of Embhuleni, Prince Makhosonke Dlamini.[1] Embhuleni is one of the villages in South Africa where the annual Ummemo Cultural Event (a Swazi cultural celebration)[2] takes place. Its authority under Chief Dlamini is known as Embhuleni Traditional Council,[3] and is represented in the South African House of Traditional Leaders.[4][5]

History

The village has been in existence since c.1842.[6] It was built by Mswati II as a military post to safeguard eSwatini land against possible invasion by the Bapedi.[7]

The first house of the Embhuleni royal family was built in Tjakastad on the foot of Mkhingoma Mountain[8][9] and one of King Mswati II's wives, Queen Ngodzela Mkhonta, lived there. Also two more wives of the King, Queens Butsikati and Mnkabi, were sent from mainland Eswatini to come live with Ngodzela. Few months later Ngodzela was accused of being aware of the sexual misconduct of Ndzinga Jele, another of King Mswati II's wives, but hid it from the King and was recalled from Embhuleni[10]

Another of King Mswati II's wives, Queen Nandzi Khumalo - nicknamed LaMagadlela after her Zulu father Magadlela Khumalo of Mkhondo area - was sent to Embhuleni to replace Ngodzela.[10]

Since then the Embhuleni royal house was moved several times around Dlomodlomo[11][12] before it finally settled to its current location in Badplaas due to colonialism that disrupted normal life and divided Embhuleni land into farms of the Boers.[10]

LaMagadlela had two daughters - Princesses File and Lozindaba - with Mswati II. When Mswati II died in 1868, the Swazi royal family sent a delegation to Lamagadlela's home in Mkhondo to ask them to give one of their daughters to bear a male heir for the Embhuleni royal kraal as LaMagadlela only had daughters and her husband was no more. A young woman called Bikwaphi Khumalo, a daughter of LaMagadlela's younger brother Ndebe Khumalo, was sent to Embhuleni by the Khumalos and she married Prince Ntjentje, a son of Mswati II's brother Prince Kufa. A son named Prince Sunduza was born out of Ntjentje and Bikwaphi's arranged union and was poised to be the Chief of Embhuleni but then this couldn't happen as Ntjentje died soon afterwards and Sunduza followed few years later after contracting flu while still young[10]

Prince Mgwevu, another of Prince Kufa's sons, was arranged a marriage with Bikwaphi and together they had five children, amongst them Princes Maquba, Mazingela and Makinobho Amos. Maquba would later become the first Chief of Embhuleni as the original heir Sunduza was no longer.[10]

When Lamagadlela died in 1922, Bikwaphi took over as the regent of Embhuleni until Maquba was installed as the Chief in 1931. Bikwaphi died in 1939. Maquba was succeeded by his son Prince Mkolishi in 1953[10] During apartheid rule, the Embhuleni royal kraal and King Sobhuza II campaigned unsuccessfully for the present day Mpumalanga to be incorporated into Eswatini, citing the contentious borders put in place by the Scramble of Africa.

References

  1. ^ Ntshalintshali is new induna of Swazi royal tribe, Ridge Times, 18 February 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2024
  2. ^ Thwala, J. J.The Significance of the Traditional Ceremony Ummemo, among Swazi. Studies of Tribes and Tribals 15, no. 1 (January 2, 2017): p23–29.
  3. ^ Ntshalintshali is new induna of Swazi royal tribe, Ridge Times, 18 February 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2024
  4. ^ Prayer should be done for all, Mpumalanga News. Retrieved 11 February 2023
  5. ^ - Kings and paramount chiefs of South Africa, The African Royal Families. Retrieved 23 July 2023
  6. ^ South Africa orders blacks out of 142-year-old village, Washington Post, 13 January 1984. Retrieved 13 July 2024
  7. ^ Matsebula, J.S.M. 1980. A History of Swaziland. Cape Town: Creda Press
  8. ^ Myburg, A.C.1949. The Tribes of Barberton District. Pretoria: Government Printer
  9. ^ Myburg, A.C. 1949. Chiefs and Tribes of Nelspruit District. Pretoria: Department of Regional and Land Affairs
  10. ^ a b c d e f Matsebula, J.S; Mlotshwa, D.K.; Mlotshwa, J M; Ntiwane, N.D (2016): The History of Emaswati in South Africa. South Africa: Mbokodo Publishers. Page 169-187. ISBN 9780620653848
  11. ^ Myburg. A.C. 1956.- Die Stamme van die Distrik Carolina. Pretoria:Staatsdrukker
  12. ^ A preliminary survey of the Bantu tribes of South Africa by N.J. van Warmelo.Pretoria:Government Printer, 1935

Further reading

  • Matsebula, J.S; Mlotshwa, D.K.; Mlotshwa, J M; Ntiwane, N.D (2016): The History of Emaswati in South Africa. South Africa: Mbokodo Publishers. ISBN 9780620653848
  • Matsebula, J.S.M (1980): A History of Swaziland. Cape Town: Creda Press. ISBN 9780582642126

Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embhuleni
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