King Ntshosho Zwane II in Zim for Amangwe celebrations
By Bongani Ndlovu
South African Amangwe clan King Ntshosho Zwane II jetted into Zimbabwe on Monday to meet his subjects and attend a cultural celebration at Chief Vezi Maduna’s homestead in Filabusi.
King Ntshosho Zwane II will preside over the celebration tomorrow called Umgubho which is running under the theme “Stretching Cultural Practice (Ubuntu) for Economic Emancipation”.
He is accompanied by a seven-member delegation from South Africa with more people from there and Swaziland expected to follow.
The Amangwe clan, which uses the Ndiweni, Mbambo and Zwane surnames, is spread across southern parts of Zimbabwe, Swaziland and South Africa.
Spokesperson of the Amangwe cultural grouping in Zimbabwe, Lungisani Ndiweni said the king was also here to meet the Mafu people.
“The Mafu people in South Africa are part of the clan, but the ones in Zimbabwe found in Insiza aren’t. So the meeting with Chief Maduna is to integrate the Mafu clan into the Amangwe Kingdom,” said Ndiweni.
“Also, he wants to see how his people have been doing ever since he started bringing the Amangwe nation together.”
He said as always, they look forward to meeting with King Ntshosho who is in the country until next Monday, adding that all are welcome for the two-day event.
“Meeting the king, what we call ukuwotha iNkosi, is very important in our culture. Here we speak with the king and listen to his sound advice. However, this is not just for the Amangwe, but for everyone as Zimbabwe is a nation of diverse cultures,” said Ndiweni.
King Ntshosho Zwane II who was installed in 2000 reunited with his Zimbabwean subjects that had been separated from the Amangwe line for more than 180 years in 2012.
The Amangwe celebrations started in 2011 at Sizane High School in Bulawayo with King Ntshosho Zwane gracing the 2012 event that was held at Chief Wasi Ndiweni’s homestead in Macingwana village, Plumtree.
In 2013, the celebrations were in Kezi at Chief Nyangazonke’s homestead where King Ntshosho Zwane II could not attend due to the ill health of former South African President Nelson Mandela.
In 2014, the celebrations were back in Bulawayo at Amakhosi Township Square Cultural Centre.
It is believed that the founding Ndebele King, Mzilikazi Khumalo, was born of Nompethu KaZwide, daughter of Chief Zwide of the Ndwandwe people.
However, a lot of evidence has been presented including the large number of Amangwe chiefs in his nation that Mzilikazi could have been born of Cikose Ndiweni, of the Amangwe ethnic group.
In Ndebele history, it is argued that Mzilikazi, a chief at the time, was assisted by his mother’s people, Amangwe, to land the royal kingship of the Ndebele nation. – The Chronicle
