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The Ngoni of Malawi (A History Revisited)

Article in SSRN Electronic Journal · March 2015

DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2587050

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 THE NGONI OF MALAWI (A HISTORY REVISTED)

Sunduzwayo Madise*

27 March 2015

Introduction
This article is about the historical origins of the Ngoni found predominantly in Mzimba (Jele)
and those headquartered in Ntcheu (Maseko). It is not about the battles that the Ngoni fought,
nor is it about the succession battles that each group has had to overcome. It is not about the
Ngoni language or culture, although elements as they impact on this article may be touched
upon. Though the article mentions present day situations, these are for the sake of comparison
and context. The article really does not aim to go into events that occurred after the 19th
century. And since most of the sources were originally through oral means, it is possible there
maybe a few differences in sources of events and when they happened. This is conceded. In a
sense, this article aims to acquaint the reader with an overview of where the two groups
predominantly originated from. To those who may be of Ngoni origin, it may be a revelation,
surprise, confirmation, a shock – all depending on the history that each individual has grown
up to know. As a piece of researched and academic work, it would fail in its purpose if it did
not do this. But this research is on-going. Although it is written in a personalised manner, the
sources of information have been cross-checked and at times triangulated. But like all research,
in order to attain rigour, this work is open to and will benefit from criticism and views. It is but
a first draft. The use of bold is regrettably deliberate as some of these words maybe new to
most readers.

The thrust of the thesis of this article is that the Maseko Ngoni originated from Swaziland
while the Jele Ngoni originated from Zululand. However both may be correct to claim that
they originated from Natal, because Natal in the early years was the whole region of South-
East Africa. Despite differences in their origins, the two groups may be said to be cousins.
The actually lived almost next door to each other before events thrust them to meet again, but
in another part of Africa.

The word Ngoni has been held to be a corruption of the word Nguni. Where used in this article,
Nguni refers to the collections of clans and tribes occupying South Africa, Swaziland and
Lesotho. The Nguni themselves were invaders, named after their legendary leader Nguni, who
came down from northern Central Africa bringing with them cattle that was non indigenous to
the Southern Africa region.1 The cattle they brought is aptly called Nguni cattle.2 The unique
click sound of their language is attributed to contact with the San people of the South.3 The
Zulu, Swati and the Ndebele are of the Northern Nguni group while the Xhosa, Pondo and
Thembu are from the Southern group.4

* BSc LLB(Hons) (Mal); LLM cum laude (UWC); PhD Candidate & Tutor (University of Warwick);
Attorney, High Court and Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal; Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Malawi.
Email: sunduzwayo@yahoo.co.uk .
1
Louis-John Havemann, ‘History of KwaZulu-Natal’ <http://www.kznnorthhappenings.co.za/historykzn.htm>
accessed on 27 March 2015.
2
Chris vd Merwe, ‘Nguni Facts’ (ZZZ Nguni Stud, 2008) <http://www.nguni.info/nguni_facts.htm> accessed
on 26 March 2015.
3
Havemann (n 1).
4
Ibid.
As used in this article, Ngoni refers to the Nguni that entered and settled in Malawi (Zambia,
Mozambique and Tanzania) after they fled the effects events that unfolded with the rise to
power of Shaka in the Natal region.

From Swati to Ngoni – the flight of the Maseko Ngoni

The other day I made a facebook posting regarding Nhlangano in Ntcheu and stated that the
majority of the Ngoni there are Swati. I argued that actually the name Tsangano as it is called
now is a Chewalisation and corruption of Nhlangano. The Chewa speaking people who the
Maseko Ngoni found in Ntcheu clearly could not be expected to pronounce the uniquely
Nguni pronunciation of ‘Nhla’. Nhlangano means a meeting place, and is an actual place and
town in present day Swaziland.5

The Maseko Ngoni delineate their roots back to the valley of the Usutu River in modern day
Swaziland.6 The Maseko Ngoni also refer to their ‘odyssey from Natal to Malawi.’7 It is
important that Natal not be confused with present day Natal. In the 18th to 19th century, Natal
referred to most of South-East Africa.8 And Swaziland, being next to KwaZulu Natal would
have been part of the Natal region of the time. However the Swati are not restricted to
Swaziland and it is stated that there are more Swati in South Africa than in Swaziland.9

The Kingdom is Swaziland is actually knows in Swati as Umbuso weSwatini. 10 It is also

called kaNgwane or Eswatini. 11 In Eswatini, Swazis are not called Swazis but emaSwati, and
the language is siSwati, a Nguni language.12 Sometimes the term bakaNgwane (Ngwane
people) is used alternatively to emaSwati, and this is because history indicates that the Ngwane
people entered present day Swaziland around 1600.13 Other records indicate that Ngwane was
actually the leader of this group and the group later became known as Ngwane.14 They settled
along the Pongola River, in close proximity to the Ndwandwe people. This is important
because it highlights the closeness of the emaSwati to the Ndwandwe.15 The significance of
being called Ngwane will be illustrated later when we discuss the first leader of the Maseko
Ngonis. The significance of the emaSwati or bakaNgwane being cousins to the Ndwandwe
will also become clear in due course.

Uniquely the Swati refer to their king as Ingwenyama or Ngwenyama (the Lion).16 In
Malawi, only the Maseko Ngoni refer to their Paramount King as such. It is also interesting
that among the Swati, their chiefs are never called Makhosi and their King is never referred to
as Inkosi ya Makhosi (Makosi). The Maseko Ngoni refer to their Ingwenyama as Inkosi ya
Makhosi. It is submitted this is something the Maseko Ngoni may have picked from the
Zwangendaba Jele Ngonis as they both run away, the Maseko Ngoni from inkatha and the
5
‘Nhlangano’ (Wikipedia, 2014) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nhlangano> accessed on 26 March 2015.
6
Devi Dee Mucina ‘Revitalizing Memory in Honour of Maseko Ngoni’s Indigenous Bantu Governance’
(University of Victoria 2006) <http://web.uvic.ca/igov/uploads/pdf/Mucina598-2006.pdf> accessed on 26
March 2015; 16, 52.
7
Ibid 16.
8
‘Maps of Natal and Zululand: 1824 - 1910’ (1972) Natalia 2; p34.
9
‘Swazi people’ (Wikipedia, 2015) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swazi_people> accessed on 26 March 2015.
10
‘Swaziland’ (Wikipedia, 2015) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swaziland > accessed on 26 March 2015.
11
Ibid
12
‘Swazi language’ (Wikipedia, 2015) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swazi_language > accessed on 26 March
2015.
13
‘Swazi people’ (n 9).
14
Havemann (n 1).
15
‘Swazi people’ (n 9).
16
Ibid.
Jele Ngoni from the Mfecane (discussed below). This is so because inkosi is a Zulu word
meaning chief or king. It is not a general Nguni name.

Research indicates that the Maseko Ngoni moved out because they regarded themselves as
within reach of the lethal inkatha impetus of Shaka. 17 Inkatha is a Zulu word which means
‘crown of woven grass’, a tribal emblem symbolizing the force of unifying the Zulu nation.18
This was achieved most by assimilating defeated clans and tribes. It symbolises ‘unity, strength
and arguably nationhood.’19 Shaka is widely credited with uniting the Northern Nguni,
especially the Mthethwa and Ndwandwe into the Zulu Kingdom.20 The process of unification
however was through military conquest and submission.

To understand why this trek by the Ngoni northwards started, it is important that we revisit the
birth of the Zulu Kingdom itself. And in doing this we will have to discuss the birth of the
Zulu Empire and the flight of Zwangendaba Jele.

From small tribe to Empire, the effects of Mfecane and the flight of the Jele Ngoni
The original Zulu tribe was a small one.21 Their King was Sezangankhona. Shaka was an
illegitimate son. He and his mother Nandi, were exiled and lived among the Mthethwa
people.22 As a young man, he fought under Dingiswayo, chief of the Mthetwa. After the death
of Senzangakona, with the help of his godfather Dingiswayo, Shaka, took over the Zulu
throne, through violent means.23 Before these events the Zulu, Mthetwa, Ndwandwe and
other groups were generally peaceful; dancing more than fighting! In the TV series ‘Shaka
Zulu’ it was suggested that wars were not won by who fought best, but who danced best, with
their women cheering them on!24 It does not mean wars were not fought, rather that they were
not widespread. Shaka changed all that. He organised a band of strong fearless young men he
called his Impi. Impi is a Zulu word for any armed body of men, but is used in association
with a Zulu regiment.25 Amongst other Nguni groupings, the term is also for their regiments,
but its origin are Zulu. Impi were not only Shaka’s soldiers but his trusted bodyguards as well.
He trained his impi in what could be described at the time as modern welfare. With his impi
he caught the neighbouring clans unawares and quickly run over them. The sound of the impi,
stamping the ground before the attack, with their spears drumming against the shield creating
a frenzy was enough to scare any enemy into submission. Shaka organised a strong army by
recruiting young men from around his tribe to become soldiers.26 So even from an early stage,
it is most likely that the Zulu army comprised not just Zulu, but also Ndwandwe, Mthetwa
and even Swati.

But Shaka’s greatest achievement may well have been his plans for expansion from a small
Kingdom to a mighty Empire, the establishment of inkhatha. He also started organising the

17
Mucina (n 6) 16.
18
‘Inkatha’ (Oxford) <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Inkatha> accessed on 26 March
2015.
19
Mucina (n 6) 8
20
‘Shaka’ (Wikipedia, 2015) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaka> accessed on 26 March 2015.
21
‘Impi’ (Wikipedia, 2015) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impi > accessed on 26 March 2015.
22
‘Zulu Kingdom’ (Wikipedia, 2015) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zulu_Kingdom> accessed on 26 March
2015.
23
‘Shaka’ (n 20)
24
1986.
25
‘Impi’ (n 21).
26
‘Zulu’ (Advameg, Inc, 2015) <http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Rwanda-to-Syria/Zulu.html > accessed on
26 March 2015.
Kingdom socially, culturally and politically and introduced what we can in modern times call
far reaching and revolutionary reforms. Maybe his most revolutionary reform was of a military
nature. He organised his impi into a mean fighting machine; designing a bigger and stronger
shield for them, he also redesigned the assegai, a short stabbing spear into the iklwa or ixwa,
after the sound that was heard as it was withdrawn from the victim’s wound.27 Unlike the
assegai, the iklwa could also be thrown. This meant the enemy could be defeated without
having close combat, and since the enemy could only rely on close combat, the impi had
military superiority.

Events started to unfold with the growth in stature of the Ndwandwe. Zwide, the son of Langa,
who he succeeded as chief, built up the Ndwandwe into a formidable force.28 When he
expanded to the borders with that of the ‘rival bloc of Sobhuza I, Ngwenyama of the
emaSwati, the latter avoided war by migrating north, where he founded the modern Swazi
Kingdom.’29 Zwide’s next target in assuming supremacy among the north Nguni was the
Mthetwa confederation led by Dingiswayo.30 He tricked Dingiswayo into a trap and had him
killed.31 Zwide was known as a magician and it is alleged his added Dingiswayo’s head to his
grisly collection of trophies.32 Shaka made an alliance of peace with the Ndwandwe, most
likely I would think, because he was afraid of Zwide’s magic powers. Shaka assumed the
leadership of the reader-less Mthetwa confederation, assimilating them into the Zulu
Kingdom, which was now rapidly expanding.33 Wary of the young Shaka, Zwide sent an army
to attack Shaka, but was outsmarted by the young man’s tactics resulting in a defeat at the
Battle of Mthetwa in 1818.34 In the following year, Zwide sent his entire army and this time
the defeat was decisive, at the battle of the Mhlatuze River in 1819, resulting in a counter-
invasion by Shaka and scattering the Ndwandwes.35 Other records treat this as a Zulu civil
war as the Ndwandwe were largely considered part of the Zulu Confederate.36 This not only
broke the alliance between the Zulus and the Ndwandwes, but it also brought the latter under
the authority of the Zulu Empire and in the process unleashed a murderous campaign against
other Nguni tribes and clans, setting in motion what later became infamously known as
Mfecane. Mfecane is the Zulu name for the scattering, forced dispersal and forced migration
across Southern Africa.37 Some of the Ndwandwe chose to remain under Zulu sovereignty
while other joined Soshangane and another joined Zwangendaba.38 Zwangendaba the son
of Ziguda Jele, was a commander in the Ndwandwe army.39

Zwide himself fled and over the next couple of years attempted to regroup the Ndwandwe.40

27
‘Assegai’ (Wikipedia, 2015) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assegai > accessed on 27 March 2015.
28
Mary R. Lipschutz and R Kent Rasmussen (1989) Dictionary of African Historical Biography (University
California Press) 257.
29
Ibid.
30
Ibid.
31
Ibid.
32
Ibid.
33
‘Zulu Kingdom’ (n 22).
34
‘Battle of Gqoki Hill’ (Wikipedia, 2015) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gqokli_Hill > accessed on
26 March 2015.
35
Lipschutz & Rasmussen (n 28) 257.
36
‘Ndwandwe-Zulu War’ (Wikipedia, 2013) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ndwandwe%E2%80%93Zulu_War>
accessed on 26 March 2015.
37
‘Mfecane’ (Wikipedia, 2014) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mfecane> accessed on 26 March 2015.
38
Lipschutz & Rasmussen (n 28) 257.
39
Albert Moyana Gumbi, ‘History of the Gumbi Jele Clan’ (Wikipedia, 2015)
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Kwandagumbi72/sandbox > accessed on 27 March 2015.
40
Ibid.
Shaka built his headquarters at a place he called Bulawayo (the place of the killing), not to be
confused to modern Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. 41 The kingdom started disintegrating after the
death of Shaka's mother, Nandi, the Indlovukazi42 (mother elephant but also ‘Queen
mother’). Shaka is said to have put on his full military regalia and screamed in anguish, as the
entire Zulu tribe screamed in unison-anguish.43 He is said to have executed several people on
the spot and a general massacre broke out with some 7,000 odd dead, what was considered a
befitting tribute to someone of Nandi’s stature.44 Shaka really never recovered from Nandi’s
death, who he almost worshipped, and was himself killed by his half-bother Dingane
(Dingaan) the same year (1827).45

During his reign Shaka was not the lion; he chose a bigger representation of the animal
kingdom and was the Indlovu (elephant but meaning great King). In fact after he defeated
Zwide, one of Zwide’s children, Sikhunyana sought to succeed his father.46 His brother,
Somaphunga, realising this, went and put himself under the power of Shaka.47 The story was
then told of Indlovu ethe imuka babeyilandela abakwaLanga meaning ‘The elephant which
as it went away those of Langa follow’.48 AbakwaLanga (was a reference to the Ndwandwe
because Zwide was the son of Langa).49 Sikhunyana did briefly succeed Zwide but was
swiftly defeated by Shaka.

So other than be under Shaka’s rule, Zwangendaba left. Others say he tactfully withdrew
while others say he fled. Whichever way, he decided to move north.

The journey to settle in Mzimba

What is clear is that Zwangendaba and his followers passed through Swaziland, on to
Mozambique before crossing the Zambezi. It is also undisputed that the Ngwane Maseko
started off from Swaziland, passed through Mozambique before crossing the Zambezi.
Because of the closeness of the Swati and the Ndwandwe-Zulu clans, it is also possible that
there were Ndwandwe-Zulus living in Swaziland and vice versa. In other words, it is
submitted that the Maseko and the Jele groups may well have had people from each others’
clans as well as from other clans within the Natal area. In fact, records show that some Swati
joined up with the Zwangendaba group, and two of Zwangendaba’s wives were Swati sisters
who had followed them. What is unclear is whether these and other Swatis were with the group
in Zulu land or they joined them in Swaziland.

It is not clear at which stage the Zulu-Ndwandwe group of Zwangendaba and the Swati group
of Ngwane Maseko started calling themselves Nguni again, but what is clear is that by the
time they crossed the Limpopo, they were no longer known by the clan names, but rather by
the larger Nguni name. This may well be because they wanted to dissociate themselves from

41
‘Bulawayo (Zulu Empire)’ (2014) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulawayo_%28Zulu_empire%29> accessed
on 27 March 2015.
42
In Swati it would be Ndlovutakati or Indlovukati.
43
‘Nandi (mother of Shaka)’ (Wikipedia, 2014)
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandi_%28mother_of_Shaka%29> accessed on 27 March 2015.
44
Ibid.
45
Ibid.
46
Gabriel Kingsley Osei, (1971) Shaka the Great, vol 2001 Reprint (Black Classic Printers) 54.
47
Ibid 55.
48
Ibid.
49
Lipschutz & Rasmussen (n 28) 257.
events back home and start a new life. But being warriors they caused havoc and conquered
wherever they went.

The Nguni (both groups) who came over to Nyasaland were a rather small band of people, but
because they had superior military skills, they as well as the political skills of assimilating those
they conquered, thereby enlarging their numbers as they moved along.

Other scholars have described the reasons why the Ngoni settled in Malawi, as offering an
‘area of refuge’; one would say from the terror of Shaka.50

There are many stories of how the Maseko Ngonis and Jele Ngonis trekked north. Others place
the migration as a joint exercise with a split occurring at the crossing of the Zambezi River.51
Others place the split before the crossing of the Zambezi River. Others however, say these
were two different migrations and although closely related in time, were not taken as a joint
enterprise.

The joint enterprise story would make sense from two angles. Firstly, looking at the location
of Swaziland which is north of Zululand, it makes logical sense that the trek was a joint
enterprise of sorts, and that either the fleeing Ndwadwes joined up with the Swati who were
ready to flee or the Swati upon seeing the fleeing Ndwandwe decided to join them. The second
reason is that since the Ndwandwe and the Swati were neighbours in ‘Natal’, when they found
themselves on the run from a common enemy, it was logical that they join forces. Those who
subscribe to this refer to a love-hate relationship that saw the two groups having cat-and-mouse
but deadly battles for supremacy leading to a split with each group avoiding the other. 52
Mucina says Zwangendaba first defeated Ngwane before Ngwane went into an alliance with
another group fleeing from the Mfecane led by Nxaba and they revenged their defeat after
which the two sides decided to avoid any more conflicts and avoid each other.53 This school of
thoughts adds that the Maseko travelled eastward of Lake Malawi so that the lake ‘became a
natural separator’ to avoid a bloody confrontation with Jele.54 The latter had trekked westwards
of the lake.55

However, others argue that these were two separate migrations and the groups never travelled
together. This would be supported with records that place the Jele crossing of Zambezi in the
Summer Eclipse of November 1835 and the Maseko crossing in 1839. 56 But a difference of
4 years may not be enough to conclude that these were different migrations. Other records have
them entering Malawi in 1842.57 There is even a tale told among the Jele Ngonis of how
Zwangendaba struck the waters of Zambezi which separated into two and the Ngoni crossed
on dry land. I would think this is most likely a recreation of the Biblical Moses story and only
came about after the missionaries had entered Mzimba.

50
Mucina (n 6) 84
51
‘Movement and Settlement of the Ngoni in East Africa’ (Makerere University (School of Education))
<http://www.elateafrica.org/elate/history/ngoni/ngonieastafrica.html > accessed on 26 March 2015.
52
Mucina (n 6) 16.
53
Ibid 78.
54
Ibid 79.
55
Ibid.
56
Ibid 78.
57
‘The Ngoni historical background’ (Wawa Malawi) <http://www.wawamalawi.com/cultures/ngoni.php >
accessed on 27 March 2015.
However, the subject of whether the two groups crossed together, were together or migrated
separately is not the focus of this paper. However similarities in names amongst both groups
may point to this, but as I have already said, this may well be due to the fact that each group
was never homogenous, and therefore may not be conclusive as all.

The Zwangendaba Ngonis passed west of Lake Malawi and trekked north and landed at
Mabiri in Mzimba.58 After a short stay they moved on and settled in Ufipa in Tanzania, at a
place they called Maphupo.59 After the death of Zwangendaba at Maphupo (which means
dreams60), his followers trekked back and settled at Ng’onga in the Henga valley.61 Upon the
death of Zwangendaba, there were succession disputes involving his brothers Mgayi and
Ntabeni. His brother Mgayi seized power but Ntabeni insisted that the throne should go to
Mpezeni, the eldest son of the fallen King. The groups split with Mpezeni settling in modern
day Zambia while Mhlahlo (who later became to be known as M’mbelwa) led the other
group. M’mbelwa was installed as Inkosi ya Makhosi in 1857, two years after settling in
Ng’onga.62 The name Mhlahlo means witch finder and was given because of a situation when
a piece of hair was found in Zwangendaba’s bear and witch craft was suspected.63 Mhlahlo
was later called M’mbelwa which means buried one.64 This was to commemorate the many
Ngosis that had died and been buried, including Zwangendaba their leader. Zwangendaba
had three children, Mpezeni, Mhlahlo, Mtwalo.65 All three were of different mothers, with
Soseya (daughter of Zwide)66 mother of Ntuto, better known as Mpezeni and two Swati sisters
who had followed them, Munene and Qutu mothers of Mhlahlo and Mtwalo.67 Mtwalo was
the more senior but he resigned in favour of Mbelwa thereby avoid a civil war that was looming
among the Jele Ngonis.68 Records are not clearly who exactly Zwangendaba wanted to take
over. According to tradition, Mpezeni was the eldest. But others said Zwangendaba had
favoured, M’mbelwa, the youngest.69 But now it is all academic as the succession issues have
long been settled.

Among the Jele Ngoni, Mpezeni is still given his due respect and according to Ngoni
customary law, is the only one who can install M’mbelwa. Although M’mbelwa is paramount,
he still regards Mtwalo as his elder brother. The Jele Ngoni therefore made Mzimba their final
settling place, although incessant skirmishes with the Tumbuka, the Kamanga, the Henga,
the Phoka and Tonga would continue for some time.

The journey to settle in Ntcheu

58
‘Ngoni’ (Malawi Tourism, 2015) <http://www.visitmalawi.mw/index.php/discover-malawi-s-
beauty/malawi-about/item/77-ngoni > accessed on 27 March 2015.
59
Gumbi (n 39).
60
Mucina (n 6) 79.
61
‘Ngoni’ (n 58).
62
Ibid.
63
Malonje Mdekanjiba Phiri, ‘M’mbelwa not Mombera’ (unpubslihed) (23 March 2015).
64
Ibid.
65
C. J. W. Fleming, ‘The Zwangendaba Succession’ (WorldPress, 2010)
<https://allthingsngoni.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/the-Zwangendaba-succession/ > accessed on 26 March
2015.
66
Owen J M Kalinga (2012) Historical Dictionary of Malawi (Scarecrow Press) 432.
67
Fleming (n 65) & Phiri (n 63).
68
Bridgal Pachai, ‘Ngoni Politics and Diplomacy 1848 – 1904 (part 2)’ (1970)
<https://allthingsngoni.wordpress.com/category/mmbelwa/ > accessed on 26 March 2015.
69
Ibid.
The Maseko Ngoni under Ngwane Maseko (other records refer to him as Induna70 and others
as chief/King) landed at Ntcheu. But it is recorded that Ngwane Maseko died before crossing
the Zambezi River. 71 Records indicate the crossing was in 1839.72 He was succeeded by his
brother Magadlela as regent until his heir, Mputa became of age.73

But the choice of the name Ngwane shows he may have been, or t least considered himself,
of royal descent as this was the official name for the emaSwati. By this time their cattle supplies
had been dilapidated by Tsetse flies when passing through the Zambezi so they needed to
replenish.74 The trekked northwards, essentially looking for cattle passed east of Lake Malawi
and settled at Songea in Tanzania, just hundreds of kilometres West of Ufipa. Amongst his
subjects, Mputa was known as the Whipper.75 Another group of Ngoni which had split earlier
from the Jele Ngonis after the death of Zwangendaba, the Gwangara Ngoni under Zulu
Gama76 moved into Songea where a battle resulted with the Maseko Ngoni. History of what
happened here is no all too clear. Others record that the Maseko Ngonis were defeated and
pushed out of Songea.77 Others say that Zulu Gama realising he was no match for Mputa
tricked the latter and assassinated him.78 And as the Maseko Ngonis were offering their
customary sacrifice to the sleeping Ngwenyama Mputa, Zulu Gama and his warriors attacked
them by surprise inflicting heavy casualties and forcing them to flee from the ruthless Zulu in
1864.79 The confusion and chaos and the continuous running battles that followed Mputa’s
death rise to the phrase ‘Chipasupasu cha aNgoni pa Matengo’, meaning ‘the
pandemomium of the Maseko Ngoni at Matengoland’.80 Matengo is a highland area located
in the Eastern part of Mbinga District in Tanzania.81

Since Mputa’s heir was not of age, his brother Chidyaonga (eater of gunpowder) led the
Masekos into Mozambique.82

For some time they trekked endlessly in Mozambique. A song that the Maseko Ngonis used
to sing whilst wandering around says:
Come let us go to Swaziland
Where the people die fat
My father is calling me (Ubaba uyangibiza)

70
Is a Zulu title meaning advisor, great leader, ambassador,headman, or commander of group of warriors. It
can also mean spokesperson or mediator as the izinDuna often acted as a bridge between the people and the
king. The title was reserved for senior officials appointed by the king or chief, and was awarded to
individuals held in high esteem for their qualities of leadership, bravery or service to the community. The
izinDuna would regularly gather for an indaba to discuss important issues - ‘InDuna’ (Wikipedia, 2013)
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InDuna > accessed on 27 March 2015.
71
Mucina (n 6) 78-9.
72
Ibid.
73
Ibid 80.
74
Charles M. Govati, ‘The fatal encounter of King Mputa Maseko and the Zulu Gama-Wahuhu or Njeru
Ngoni's in Matengoland’ (WorldPress, 2013) <https://reMasekongoni.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/the-fatal-
encounter-of-mputa-Maseko/> accessed on 26 March 2015.
75
Ibid.
76
Other accounts have Zulu Gama as a commoner who took advantage of the leadership crisis that followed
the death of Zwangandaba to launch his own crusade -Fleming (n 65).
77
‘Movement and Settlement of the Ngoni in East Africa’ (n 51).
78
Mucina (n 6) 80, Govati (n 74).
79
Govati (n 74).
80
Ibid.
81
‘Matengo Highlands’ (Wikipedia, 2014) <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matengo_Highlands > accessed on 27
MArch 2015.
82
Mucina (n 6) 80-1.
 Go home (Hamba ekaya)
Things have turned against you (Indaba zikuyandela)
Go home (Hamba ekaya)83

In fact this seems to have been incorporated in the izibongo (praise) for Inkosi ya Makhosi
Gomani IV where these words appear near the end:
We are going where people never die,
There people are killed with age,
There people eat meat and drink milk,
There people do not grow thin,
There beautiful and polite women are abundant.
Let us go to Lizulu.
Hail! Your Majesty!
Hail! Our lion! Hail!
Our hero and Chief of chiefs!84

Some settled in Mozambique but the came back to Malawi and settled at Domwe, where
Chidyaonga died, around 1870.85 Mputa’s son, Chikuse was enthroned King, although others
had wanted Chidyaonga’s son, Chifisi to take the throne.86 This dispute resulted in a civil war
between Gomani, son of Chikuse and Kachindamoto, son of Chifisi and the war only ended
with the intervention of an emissary of Sir Harry Johnson, Major Edwards in 1894.87
However the reason for brokering the peace had nothing to do with the goodwill of the Maseko
Ngonis but rather the colonial masters were worried with inadequate supply of labour brought
about by the Ngoni civil war.88

It is however recorded that part of the Maseko Ngoni did not trek all the way down from
Songea and some and settled at Kilombero, where they became known as the Mbunga.89
Others settled at Namabengo, Maposeni, Mgazini and Mbamba.90 To say trek would maybe
not explain the whole story. As they went down, the Maseko Ngoni conquered all they came
across, and assimilated them, especially young men into their military and women and girls as
brides. They may not have been part of the Zulu Civil war but they were as mighty a military
machine.

Final remarks
So today if you visit Ntcheu and surrounding areas, you find names that are of Swati origin,
and which you can find in present day Swaziland, such as Hlangano. Arguably however these
are few in number as instead of the Ngonis assimilating and dictating, it would seem in Lizulu
they had found a place of refuge and decided to settle and instead be assimilated. Now Lizulu
itself is said to be a short form for Lizwe la Zulu. If this is true then it is very interesting because

83
Ibid.
84
Devi Dee Mucina ‘Ubunthu: A Regenerative Philosophy for Rupturing racist Colonial Stories of
Dispossession’ (University of Toronto 2011)
<https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/29931/1/Mucina_Devi_D_201106_PhD_thesis.pdf>
accessed on 26 March 2015; 30.
85
Mucina (n 6) 81.
86
Ibid.
87
Ibid.
88
Ibid 82
89
‘Movement and Settlement of the Ngoni in East Africa’ (n 51).
90
Govati (n 74).
lizwe la Zulu means ‘land of the Zulu’ in Zulu.91 So did the Swati decide after the long round
trip and all their troubles and tribulations to identify themselves with the same Zulu empire
they had run away from? Or was it the case that maybe they did trek up to the Zambezi with
the Jele after all? Or was it the influence of the Zulu Gama faction whom the Maseko Ngoni
had interacted for a while before the treachery of Zulu Gama?

However it would seem one of the most distinguishing feature was the differences in the
customary family law of the Chewa and of the Tumbuka, the bigger tribes which the Maseko
Ngoni and Jele Ngoni found respectively. The Ngoni are patrilineal and offer lobola as part
of the marriage contract. This is the practice both in KwaZulu and Eswatini. In terms of family
law, the Chewa are matrilineal while the Tumbuka, the Kamanga-Henga and the Phoka are
patrilineal. This had profound effects on the continuation of the Ngoni customary law amongst
the two groupings.

But I would argue that instead of being dominant, especially regarding the customary law, most
of the Maseko Ngoni seemed to have adopted the matrilineal customary law of the Chewa,
such as chikamwini although I am aware of other Ngoni who still practice the Ngoni customary
law. I have also noted that most names in Maseko Ngoni land are not of Ngoni origin. On the
other hand if you visit Mzimba, you find names that you can also find in KwaZulu and most
of them start with the letter E. The Jele Ngoni have managed to retain their Zulu names for
places in most of the places. The language however has been assimilated and there is more
Tumbuka spoken across Mzimba than Ngoni. The Ngoni of Mchinji and Chipata are part of
the Jele Ngoni. The Ngoni of Ntecheu, Dedza, Thyolo, Chileka, Mwanza and Neno are part
of the Maseko Ngoni.

This is interesting and baffling because I hear more Ngoni being spoken by people from
Ntcheu than in Mzimba. The only explanation maybe a kind of battle of a ‘dual citizenship’
of the Ngoni in Ntcheu.

Where the two groups also chose to settle may have affected how they became integrated into
the political system of the country. While the Maseko Ngoni joined an area that was already
being administered by colonial elements, for the Jele Ngoni the settings different and it was
only in 1904 that the Ngoni agreed to start paying tax and officially brought the M’mbelwa
domains under British rule.
On 24 October 1904 Commissioner Sharpe, in the presence of a number of Livingstonia
missionaries (excluding the veterans Laws and Elmslie), two European ladies, and
thousands of Ngoni, brought northern Ngoniland under British rule with the following
assurances: the authority of the hereditary chiefs would be upheld; they would be able
to decide minor disputes among their people; they would receive annual subsidies. The
chiefs for their part undertook to act justly and rightly; not to accept bribes; to get their
people to pay tax; to obey the Resident and to follow his advice.92

But it would be wrong to conclude that the Maseko Ngoni did not put up a fight against
colonialism. The fearless exploits of Gomani I and Gomani II are well told.

So are the Jele Ngoni all of Zulu-Ndwandwe descent? Are all the Maseko Ngoni of Swati
descent?? I would say no. Their leaders may have been but it does not follow that their
91
Devi Dee Mucina (n 84) 27.
92
C.O. 525/66. Governor Smith to Colonial Office, secret despatch of 17 January 1916 reproduced by B
Pachai (n 68).
followers were. For example, my own father, used to say, we are Ngoni but our ancestors were
emaSwati. Was his line that of a pure Swati lineage? I doubt it. Cross-breeding did not start
today. Does all this matter in today’s Malawi? Yes, in terms of placing ourselves in relation to
our roots for a tree without roots will soon die.

But maybe the final remark is this: is it not interesting that the current Inkosi ya Makhosi
Gomani V was named MSwati at birth, and the current Inkosi ya Makhosi M’mbelwa V was
named Zwangendaba at birth? I would think his father, Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani IV, knew
very well the significance of giving the young Ngwenyama the name MSwati. I do not have
to state the obvious that Mwasti is the current Ngwenyama of the Swati in Swaziland.

For those interested into a deeper discussion, I would recommend DD Phiri’s A History of the
Ngoni Exodus from Zululand to Swziland to Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia93 and
Malawians to remember: Inkosi Gomani II.94

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