Thembu

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Thembu people
AbaThembu

Siyaɓalala, chief of the Ndungwana clan of the Thembu, c. 1930s
Total population
3.3 million[1] 2023
Regions with significant populations
South Africa  Lesotho
Languages
IsiXhosa Sesotho, English
Religion
Christianity, uThixo
Related ethnic groups
Xhosa, Mpondo, Swati, Zulu, Mpondomise, Xesibe, Bhaca, Mfengu, Basotho, Khoisan

The Thembu (Xhosa: AbaThembu) are a Xhosa Nation who inhabited the Kingdom of Thembuland. They were established around the 16th century as one of the Xhosa federations in the Transkeian territories. The federation was later annexed by British Empire shortly after the death of King Sarhili.

According to Xhosa oral tradition, the Hala clan migrated along the east coast of southern Africa before settling in KwaZulu-Natal. The earliest known Thembu ancestor is Chief Mbulali Ka-Nanzinzaba, whose grandson (named uMthembu KaNtongakazi), 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 a single political entity during the reign of Nxeko, who settled in Dedesi and was awarded chieftainship by King Togu, who later also handed him independence to form a new Xhosa state. Famous descendants of Nxeko include members of the royal line of the Xhosa Kingdom and politicians like Nelson Mandela, whose father was a reigning nobleman from a junior branch of the AmaMadiba clan of kings, and Walter Sisulu.^[2]

In Xhosa, the name is abaThembu (aba- is a common prefix implying "people").^[3] 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.

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.^[4]

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.^[5]

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.^[6]

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 bitter (!kung ra ra) bitter bush or tree people in Afrikaans (bitter bos mense).^[7]

The name ǂKhomani, now Queenstown, was a /Xam land, though /Xam land then became 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.^[8]

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.^[9]

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.^[10]

AbaThembu is a nation independent of AmaXhosa, 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, who begot Njanye, who begot Mthembu.

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 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 arrived, they presented a tribute of cattle to Mnguti in exchange for land, which they got eNgcobo. Mguti then told his son Mngxongo to confiscate their land, and when he had done so, amaQwathi gave him cattle that were all black, which is preserved in iziduko zamaNgxongo Ntsundu(these were the cattle's colors).

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 Ngxeko, Maya, and the twins Qithi and Cube. During the 16th century, Ngxeko led the migration from Dedesi to Msana in the Mthatha district.

Ngxeko 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.^{[11][better source needed]} 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 great house of AbaThembu is called Eastern Thembu at Bumbane Great Palace and is situated in Mthata, Eastern Cape. The right-hand house is called Western Thembu at Qamata Great Palace and is situated in Cofimvaba, Eastern Cape. The Western Thembu's house enjoyed autonomy for decades and was often referred to as the right-hand house, while the Eastern Thembu's house was referred to as the great house. King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, son of King Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo, became the King of AbaThembu Nation in May 1989; his praise name is Aa! Zwelibanzi !.

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.^[12]

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.^[13]

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.^[14]

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.^[15]

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.^[16]

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,^[17][18] and later demanded that the government pay Dalindyebo R900 million and the tribe a further R80 billion in compensation for the humiliation caused by his criminal trial.^[19]

Dalindyebo was imprisoned in December 2015. He was also dethroned and was expected to be administratively dethroned.^[20]

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.

• King Zwide (Son-of-??????????)

[Fathered:Prince Mankayane]

• King Mankayane (Son-of-Zwide)

[Fathered:Prince Nanzinzaba]

• King Nanzinzaba (Son-of-Mankayane)

[Fathered:Prince Mzibane]

• King Mzibane (Son-of-Nanzinaba)

[Fathered:Prince Mbulasiwe]

• King Mbulasiwe {•Mbulali•} (Son-of-Mzibane)

[Fathered:Prince Ntongakazi]

• King Ntongakazi (Son-of-Mbulasiwe)

[Fathered:Prince Mthembu]

• King Mthembu (Son-of-Ntongakazi)

(This was the Legendary Founder of the Aba-Thembu-Kingdom Since its formation)

[Fathered:Prince Ndilo & Prince Mvelase]

• King Ndilo (Son-of-Mthembu)

[Fathered:Prince Dumakazi]

• King Dumakazi (Son-of-Ndilo)

[Fathered:Prince Bhomoyi]

• King Bhomoyi (Son-of-Dumakazi)

[Fathered: Prince Ceduma]

• King Ceduma (Son-of-Bhomoyi)

[Fathered:Prince Gxama]

• King Gxama (Son-of-Ceduma)

[Fathered:Prince Xlazana]

• King Xlazana (Son-of-Gxama)

[Fathered:Prince Zambaza]

• King Zambaza (Son-of-Xlazana)

[Fathered:Prince Zimbula]

• King Zimbula (Son-of-Zambaza)

[Fathered:Prince Phohloza]

• King Phohloza (Son-of-Zimbula)

[Fathered:Prince Nhlamvuzana & Prince Nhlangano]

• King Nhlamvuzana (Son-of-Phohloza)

[Fathered:Prince Mnguti]

• King Mnguti (Son-of-Nhlamvuzana)

[Fathered:Prince Ntoyi]

• King Ntoyi (Son-of-Mnguti)

[Fathered:Prince Ntande]

• King Ntande (Son-of-Ntoyi)

(Born:1525-Died:1593)

[Reigned-From:1546 Till 1593]

[Fathered:Prince Nxeko]

• King Nxeko (Son-of-Ntande)

(Born:1557-Died:1630)

[Reigned-From:1593 Till 1630]

[Fathered:Prince Hlanga & Prince Dhlomo]

• King Dhlomo (Son-of-Nxeko)

(Born:1600-Died:1661)

[Reigned-From:1630 Till 1661]

[Fathered:Prince Hala]

• King Hala (Son-of-Dhlomo)

(Born:1636-Died:1684)

[Reigned-From:1661 Till 1684]

[Fathered:Prince Madiba]

• King Madiba (Son-of-Hala)

(Born:1660-Died:1722)

[Reigned-From:1684 Till 1722]

[Fathered:Prince Thatho]

• King Thatho (Son-of-Madiba)

(Born:1688-Died:1748)

[Reigned-From:1722 Till 1748]

[Fathered:Prince Zintshaba]

• King Zintshaba {•Zondwa•} (Son-of-Thatho)

(Born:1724-Died:1776)

[Reigned-From:1748 Till 1776]

[Fathered:Prince Ndabazenyamakazi]

• King Ndabazenyamakazi (Son-of-Zintshaba)

(Born:1748-Died:1808)

[Reigned-From:1776 Till 1808]

[Fathered:Prince Ngubengcuka]

• King Ngubengcuka {•Vusani•} (Son-of-Ndabazenyamakazi)

(Born:1790-Died:1831)

[Reigned-From:1808 Till 1831]

[Fathered:Prince Mthikrakra]

• King Mthikrakra (Son-of-Ngubengcuka)

(Born:1818-Died:1849)

[Reigned-From:1838 Till 1849]

[Fathered:Prince Ngangeizwe]

• King Ngangeizwe (Son-of-Mthikrakra)

(Born:1840-Died:1884)

[Reigned-From:1861 Till 1884]

[Fathered:Prince Dalindyebo]

• King Dalindyebo (Son-of-Ngangeizwe)

(Born:1865-Died:1920)

[Reigned-From:1884 Till 1920]

[Fathered:Prince Jongilizwe]

• King Jongilizwe (Son-of-Dalindyebo)

(Born:1902-Died:1929)

[Reigned-From:1924 Till 1929]

[Fathered:Prince Sabatha]

• King Sabatha (Son-of-Jongilizwe)

(Born:1928-Died:1986)

[Reigned-From:1954 Till 1986]

[Fathered:Prince Zwelinbanzi]

• King Zwelinbanzi (Son-of-Sabatha)

(Born:1964-Alive:Aging)

[Reigning:Since 1989 Till Present-Day]

[Fathered:????????????]

• Dalindyebo
• Matanzima
• Xhosa clan names

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thembu people.

• Sihele, E. G., Who are abaThembu and Where Do They Come From? (PDF) (manuscript), translated by Tisani, N. C., retrieved 2023-09-12 – via Rhodes University
• Royal lineage at worldstatesmen.org