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According
to tradition, the Shongwe Matsamo were an independent tribe originated
from a place in northern Zululand near
the mouth of the Pongolo River (eLuphongolo). When Somhlolo was king
of the Swazi people and Tikuni was chief of the Matsamo, they were driven
out by the Zulu to Swaziland and settled at the Bulunga village in the
district of Bremersdorp (today Manzini).
Matsafeni, son of Tikuni, was a good soldier and King Mswati II moved
his tribe to places where they had to defend the Swazi Kingdom.
Between 1856 and 1865,
the tribe under Chief Matsafeni were sent to defend the Kingdom against
the Sotho tribes to the north of the Kingdom. A section of the Shongwe
tribe remained in Bulunga, however. Up to the time of Magubha strong
ties existed between the two sections. Today the two sections each have
their own chief.
Matsafeni built his head village on the eastern slopes of the hills
to the west of the
Mlumati
River
(the present Schoemansdal area) and called it Ka-Shongwe. Two other
villages named Ka-NdlangamandIa and eSidungweni/Mashobeni were also
built.
After the death of Mswati II,
Matsafeni Shongwe joined forces with Matsafeni
Mdluli, another Swazi general, in a war with the Sotho people, who were
driven northward to Mhuluhulu near Hoedspruit. They looted the cattle
of the Sotho and incorporated young children into the Shongwe tribe.
Matsafeni Shongwe died after the Sotho war (1850-1868) of small-pox
and was buried near the present Shongwe Mission where his grave can
still be seen. Smallpox wiped out the entire Ka-NdlangamandIa village
and the Mashobeni village moved to Swaziland.
Matsafeni was succeeded by his son Matsamo, who was also a warrior who
had served in wars over cattle and land against the Sotho, the Shangaans
and the Bajobi of Mozambique.
An historical incident from this era explains the
origin of one of the tribes of the eastern Nkomazi region. After one
of the wars, Matsamo fell ill and had to be left behind by his soldiers.
He was cared for by the people of Mahlalela in the Mbozini region and
was escorted back to Swaziland
by Mahlalela. To express his gratitude, king Mswati
II gave aid to Mahlalela and made him chief of what is today the MIambo
tribe.
Matsamo had 30 wives and established sixteen villages where his sons
lived, in the areas of Mzinti, Schulzendal, Middelplaas, Schoemansdal,
Jeppe's Reef and in Swaziland.
Matsamo would probably have been succeeded by his son Lugebhuda, but
he but he predeceased
his father in 1912. Lugebhuda's son, Magubha/Sidlamafa,
was appointed by Matsamo as his successor shortly before his death in
1925. Matsamo is remembered as a good chief who was loved by everybody.
He was tolerant and willing to give land to people not of his tribe,
including a number of white people, like Kirk, Schoeman and Gilliland
(?) who obtained farms in the Matsamo tribal area.
Matsamo's son Njiyeza acted as regent until Magubha came of age in 1929.
As eldest son of Matsamo's first wife, Lozindaba, Njiyeza was the spiritual
leader of the family. He drowned in the Ngugwane in 1937.
Magubha/Sidlamafa was the son of Lugebhuda's wife Mangeti, who was a
granddaughter of Mswati II. He was born ca. 1909 and lived at the eMbanweni
village on Schoemansdal. He reigned for eleven years and was buried
next to Matsamo. Magubha is remembered as a stern man, but also as a
chief who upheld the old traditions and retained good relationships
with the people of Swaziland.
After Magubha/Sidlamafa's death, Sisini, son of his father's first wife
Silele, acted as regent from 1941 to his death in 1945.
Sithulele, half brother of Lugebhuda and full brother
of the regent Njiyeza, succeeded Sisini and acted from 1945 to
1955.
From 1955 to 1962,
Sigweje, another son of Matsamo, acted as regent.
After three successive regents, Tinhlohla/Amos, son of Sidlamafa/Magubha's
second wife Totoyi, became full chief and reigned till 1981. It was
during his time, in 1970, that the first secondary school of the tribal
area, the
Shongewe
Secondary School,
was built.
After Tinhlohla's death, his half-sister Mdzili/Grace, who is remembered
as a very kind person, acted from
1981-1982. Mahusha, another son of Magubha
took over from Mdzili and acted until his death in 1992.
In 1993 Obed/Sikhumbuzo,
son of Tinhlohia was instated and the new tribal offices were officially
opened.
Information supplied by Hans Bornman.
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