A short history of Amabhele oNtuli As a clan, amaBhele have a long and vast history, which links them to other various Nguni language-speaking groups who are understood to have once lived in the central African region many centuries ago before they set on a long southward migration until they eventually settled along the east coast of what is now known as South Africa. This discussion serves as a short summary of this vast history. The main emphasis is on the period from the late 1700s and early-to-mid- 1800s when the clan was divided (or got separated) into numerous sections thereafter; and highlights how they were differently affected by the course of history from that period. As is customary with other Nguni clans, amaBhele got their clan name from one particular ‘Bhele’ who lived approximately four centuries ago. Not much information is known about ‘Bhele’ himself - except that the members of “Bhele’s” family later became known as amaBhele, and that they later grew and expanded to become a large clan. It is to the same ‘Bhele’ that abakwaNtshangase (distinct from Ntshangase/Mgazi), abakwaKhuboni and abakwaShabangu, respectively, also trace their descent. The circumstances around which these three above-mentioned sections separated from their parent clan, amaBhele, are not known. It is probably that there are other surnames that also historically derived from amaBhele (or ‘Bhele’). But for the purposes of this brief summary only these three are mentioned at this point because information concerning them is easy to verify and trace through a careful analysis of the information obtained from traditional African oral history pending a more in-depth inquiry. [Although the various surnames are now used by amaBhele clans in the Eastern Cape, these are not referred to here. Hence they will all be referred to by the generic term of “amaBhele” – to which they all still subscribe to nonetheless.] ILenge, also known as ‘Jobs kop’ in some circles, which is situated to the east of the town of Mnambithi (Ladysmith) in the vicinity of lower Washbank River, is the small but symbolical mountain that has become synonymous with the history of amaBhele since they settled in northern Natal before they dispersed to various parts of the country. Information regarding the history of amaBhele indicates that members of ‘Bhele’s’ family and their descendants later grew in size, expanded and then separated into either two or three (perhaps more) sections due to an internal dispute in the latter part of the 1700s, which resulted in two sections of the clan being either driven away, or separated, from their kin when they left iLenge, which, however, continued to be the location of amaBhele. Also known to have been living alongside amaBhele at the time in the region were amaZizi, amaHlubi, and abakwaDlamini – all of whom lived independently as separate clas with each having its own leader, who acted as the clan’s figure-head. In the case of amaBhele, it is likely that Mahlaphahlapha was the clan’s leader, or figurehead at the time of the separation. However, it is difficult at this stage to locate Mahlaphahlapha’s name in any of the lineages of amaBhele that are available from old historical sources, even though he is commonly understood to have been the ruler of amaBhele in the late 1800s. But suffice it to say, history took its course as each of the two sections of amaBhele (those who left iLenge at the time) charted its destiny in a march towards a future characterized by great uncertainty. After a period of wandering, one section of amaBhele, now with Sompisi kaGuqa as its leader went on to settle as a tributary clan among the Zulu under Senzangakhona at the time, where they were to become known as the ‘Ntuli’ clan.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 20:08:32 +0000
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