Matsebula Clan Oral History Project (by S.O Matsebula)

This essay will be discussing Matsebula History. Mkholo is a hero of the Matsebula clan, which has an intimate relationship with the Dlamini peoples. The Matsebula clan is currently found in eSwatini and Mpumalanga province (with other Matsebula's found in KwaZulu Natal, Mozambique and Zimbabwe with deffferent spellings which sound similar, such as the Mathebula spelling). In Tsonga oral history, it is said that when the maShangane, a Langa/Zwide/Ndwandwe Nguni group encountered the Mathebula stronghold in the Lowveld, Krugar National Park. One of the areas occupied by this clam is in the Lower where the Sabi Rest Camp is situated. These people go by the name Mathebula, a nickname given to the Makhuva/Makhuba/Rozwi/Gulukhulu/Gwambe/Valoyi/Baloyi of Great Zimbaoe. This nickname spread to become what it is today, Matsebula-Mkholo, who is brown all over. It is suggested that Mkholo means Ancestor, the Rozwi language refers to Makholo as Parents/Ancetors. The Nguni hybrid version calls Mathebula "Makholo the brown one", a reference to brown hugh of their ancestors. Makholo could have refered to the graveyards that needed to be tended to by decedents of the deceased king, thereby being refered to as "makolo matsebula", or 'those mathebula who remained in their sacred lands which they lived on before Nguni wars. This term, with its possible meaning, would also be a name of the King who ruled, having ruled like his Rozwi ancestors that defeated the Portuguese in battle'. 

The origins of the Matsebula (in its form as a surname with Swati origins) clan began with the arrival the Nguni Dlaminis' in Tembeland where they were paying tribute to the Tembe king to accommodate them during internal Nguni wars (imfecane). As Dlaminis grew in strength they began to conquer or assimilate or partner with smaller neighbouring clans to form the Swati empire. The pioneers of the Swati kingdom became known as "beMdzabuko" or true Swati's. There are 15 of these founding clans: Dlamini, Nhlabathi, Hlophe, Kunene, Mabuza (Tsonga origins-Mavuza), Madvonsela, Mamba (Dlamini), Matsebula(Kalanga/Tsonga origins-Mathevula/Valoyi/Rozwi origins), Mdluli, Motsa (Mnisi-Tsonga origins), Ngwenya (Mokwena origins), Shongwe, Sukati, Tsabedze [Matsebula uses "Mkholo" as a clan praise, Mkholo was most likely the leader of Makhololand/ Makolo (plural)/ Mkhololand/ Mkolo which split from the Makhuva and Mahuntsi sections of Tsonga (originally a Khalanga-Rozwi race) -Baloyi, refusing to retreat North towards the Limpopo River, to form the Mkholo (magical tree of the ancestors) Kingdom between the Crocodile River and the Sabi River from which they derive their praise name], Tfwala(Motsa) and Zwane.

The name Matsebula originates from the legend of how the clan is infamous or famous for destroying from a distance using special medicines. Ukuthebula in Nguni is to destroy, bewitch or to turn into a zombie. Thus, since the Swati were not Zulu Mathebula was converted to Ma-tsebula. In the Swati kingdom Mkholo seems to be the hero of the Matsebula clan and many of his descendants bear his name in their clan praise poetry. The Matsebula Clan praise is as follows:

Matsebula (Destroyer):

Mkholo,

Mkolo lonsundvu netinyawo takhe.

Cotsa,

Cotsa wena lowacotsa imbokodvo nesisekelo.

Ngwenyama Nduna.

Wena lowembatsa lugogo lwengwe nengwenyama.

Translation:

Matsebula (destroyer)

Mkholo ('Red Grasshopper', the Matsebula King's name, or Caffra tree)

Mkholo who art brown all the way down to his feet (denotes great distances covered by these people)

Trounce!!/Overcome!/Prevail!/Conquer!/Devour!

Prevail thou who overcame stones and shields.

Male lion.

Thy who wears leopard and lion skin (denotes bravery, fearlessness and courage of these people) 

The deeper meaning of the names such as "Mkholo/ Makholo" and "Cotsa" have been lost to the members of the Matsebula group in post-Apartheid South Africa. According to T. Nkhosi (personal interview notes: 2019), who's father's mother is la-Matsebula, the word Cotsa means to consume completely or overwhelm completely. For instance, "a man can be said to have eaten his whole plate of sour porridge and did not leave anything left on his plate, he completely finished it", in other words he Cotsa'd it. Another example made by Dlamini (notes: 2019) is that someone who climbs a mountain, and combs all of its wedges and hideouts, all the way to its summit is said to have conquered the mountain, Cotsa'd it so to speak. 

According to Cinyanja, the national language of Malawi also known as Chewa/Xichewa, states that "cotsa" means "take away, remove or take-off". Thus the word has roots in an ancient form of Siswati spoken during the Reign of Ngwane the first Emperor of an expansionist Swaziland cultivated and groomed in Xai-xai, Mozambique, where the Rhonga dialect is spoken.

The word "Mkholo" also bears high significance to clan members, and it also carries a double meaning. According to oral tradition, Matsebula people's possession of magical herbs gave them powers, one such a tree is called the  umsumpane with a variant tree-shrub called or likholo, caffra-climbing resin, with its brown berries. Another meaning is spelled Makholo (plural of Likholo) used to praise a Matsebula person by saying "ngu-Mkholo" or "Makholo lamahle"[beautiful Mkholos (plural), a praise for Mkholo women perhaps?). This version of the praise refers to how Brown or Red, and not "Yellow" or "Black", like the grasshopper? This theory suggests the progenitor of the group was of a distinct pigmentation, a commo respect among those who bare the "red" complexion. 

Complexion aside, in the Khalanga/Shona language and Nyanja/Chewa, Makolo/Mkolo means ancestors. The Matsebula's/ Mathebula's in South Africa exist in the Nguni sphere of influence where they speak Swati, Zulu, and Shangane. They also feature in the Tsonga sphere of influence in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique where they speak a Valoyi/ Baloyi dialect of xiTsonga. In vuTsonga/ Tsongalang their lineage is called Mathevula due to the use of a "v" in the place of a "b" commonly found in Nguni languages. The nguni-speaking Mathebula's all use "Mkolo/Mkholo" as their clan praise. When the praise is used in a sentence, stating that, for instance, "Makholo manhle nasekuyo shona lilanga". This could mean Mkholo is a word that has a deeper meaning. It could mean a red locust, a sacred spiritual tree of theirs, or ancestor. One only has to place this missing word in this case based on their personal views. The meaning which make logical sense is as follows: 'Mkholo is always compared to a lion, indicating animal totemic worship. This Mkholo is described as "Mkholo lonsundvu" or "Mkholo who is brown", this line is states that Mkholo is brown. Back to kolo, Nyanja call Parents "Makolo", a parent is "Kolo". The Dlamini people always refer to Matsebula's as bo-Gogo, meaning this tribe, to them is an integral part of the community it resides, an ancestor to many clans. It makes sense to say Mkholo is the personification of this leader into a lion, a regal and brave hunter. Thus, Mkholo means lion (or Makholo-lions), who go hunting at night gather right before dawn, appearing splendid in their great numbers. Another hypothesis is Mkholo is indeed a person, a lion, who is brown, a great hunter, in the mountains and in the reeds, whose name means ancestor/ parent/ progenitors.

are used by Southern Bantu diviners to open a

connection to the ancestral spirits. These plant

preparations have sensitivity and intuition enhancing

psychoactive effects (Sobiecki, 2012). Thus, the

hypothesis can be made that the African cultural

descriptions of ‘arousing or invoking the spirits’ are

often metaphorical indicators for the relaxing and

mind-opening actions and effects of South African

psychoactive plants.

The Matsebula clan are in-laws of Swati royalty, together with the Motsa (rain makers) clan in that they both provide the first two ritual wives of the king. The Matsebula wife is the first and most important to be married and her ceremony is more like a war ritual because LaMatsebula (La- is used as a prefix to distinguish female persons) her clan knows or uses magic which is used to protect the king and defeat evil spells that could be employed against the king or interfere with his kingship. She also plays a major role in performing rituals at the annual reed dance ceremony. 

Other important clans with the praise name of Mkholo include the following:

Mavimbela (Protector);

Mavimbela,
Sihlasi (chiefs name),
Mkholo lonsudvu netinyawo takhe letihle tekucaftu-caftuta emabaleni endvodza, Awunukelani nemacaca, 
Wena longadli inyama yembuti kepha undla inyama yenyamatane,
Mdlomane wetindlovu, 
Ngubo yengonyama,
Nine bonyatsikati basemtini, 
Nine bomatala nkosi,
Nine botaba,
Nine boM'kholo labahle,
Lilanga seliyotibeka kunina.

Translation:
Protector,
Attacker,
Mkholo who is brown with his/her beautiful feet which make the sounds of a baby's feet as he learns how to walk, all the way into a mans yard,
You who does not stay with his kind for there will always be trouble (literal: white tailed mongoose/skunks dont share the same place because they are smelly to each other),
You who does not eat goat meat but eats wild meat,
Keeper/Controller of elephants,
Blanket of a lion,
You female eland in outside homes,
You king bearers,
You beautiful Mkholo,
The one who always has issues,
The sun is setting (beautiful like the setting of the sun, a possible reference to their red hugh?).

Masina (Herb Grinder);

Masina,
Mthombeni,
Ngwenyama,
Mkholo lonsundvu netinyawo takhe,

Wena ngubo yengwenyama.

Translation (pending):

Mabizela/ Mabitela (Caller):

Mkholo  lonsundu netinyawo takhe, 
Nimande,
Mshengu, 
Shabalala, 
Donga laka Mavuso, 
Inyoni leyakhala ngemanqondo umlomo uhleli, 
Umbele lwenduna nensikazi olwaqhamuka kwaMhlangavula,
Lwatsi umhlangavula udukile kantsi umhlangavula ukhona,
Gubh 'olude olwakhal 'entabeni lungashwayw 'emntu.

Translation (pending):

Tsabedze/ Tsabetse (High Mountain);

Tsabetse,
Sihlasi (their first King),
Nyakato,
Mcukama lomhlophe netinyawo takhe,
Mabanjeni nasheleni,
Msukeli webesutfu,
Wena lowakhwela emtsini ungena nyawo,
Mabamba lamanhle ayakhetsana nakuyiwa ebandla,
Mkholo lonsundvu mawandla,
Wena longaweli ngetibuko,
Wena lowela ngasenhlanele somfula,
Wena longanyatseli macaphoti usaba kugugubuka tinyawo.
Tsabetse.

Translation (pending):

BakaTsabedze eSwatini differ in three ways. There is Sihlase, there is Malindza and then there is Mkholo.

Makhuba/ Makhubo (Earth tools);

Makhubo,

Cotsa, 

Mbuyisa, 

Mwelase,
Wena longabongelwa ngaphandle kodvw' abongelw' endlini.

Mtingeli wetinyamatane,

Makholo lamahle adzilita umhlanga ongcengcemeni kudungane tonke titiba.

Mkholo lonsundvu netinyawo takhe,

Mbilandvuna ohlal' endleleni wetsemb'isibhakela sakhe.

Lotse yena nakabona umsutfu lomhlophe, wafik'eveni lakhona, walwa netinkunzi takhona. 

Kwatsiwa, nkunzi bayesabana naMakhubo,
Kantsi yena ubevisa titsa takhe Makhubo.

Wena wemabonga nemabongatane.

Shobane.

Wena lomudze naselangeni,

Buhle' beve.

Translation:
Makhuba (Hammer, sickle and hoes)
Trounce!
The bringer,
The one who crosses rivers?
Thou who is not thanked outside, but inside the house,
Hunter of wild animals,
Brown lions tear down the reads by the muddy river edge,
Muddying the water as they enter.
Lion/ Ancestor who art brown all the way to the bottom of his feet,
The hotheaded one that sits in the path and trusts his fists/abilities.
The one who saw the light skinned/ white baSotho, went to their kingdom fought the strongest of them.
And it was said that they are no match for Makhubo/ Makhuba,
But he was just showing them Makhuba's might.
Shobane?
You who is taller than the sun
Beauty of the nation.

Family names related to Matsebula in the Tsonga realm of oral history include the following:

Mathevula/ Mathewula/ Mathebula/ Matsebula (Tsonga, Changane, Zulu and Swati renderings of Ma-tsebula respectively), Mukansi (Magoveni), Xivodze, Lowani, Xiseve, Mponwa, Mahuntsi, Makholo/ Makolo (Matsebula praise name - either meaning brown ancestor in Shona or in reference to the overall lifestyle of the hero Mkholo.

Madzenga, Xakamani, Xitsavi, Makaringi, Malatani, Nxolwani, Mongwe, Mbhingu/ Mbingo (Swati variant).

Mbhekwani, Mamitele, Makhuva / Makhuba (founder of the Mathebula lineage with its foundations at the Letaba Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park, a place scatttered with burial grounds of the Valoyi Mathebula lineage on its expansion path towards the Lowveld/Libombo-Rivombo Mountains), Chaki, Mpofu, Mbandze.

Mugwambani/Mugwambe/Hwambi (Changameri Gulukhulu gave birth to Gwambe who founded the Valoyi clan in Mozambique) Ntlhavitsi, Vombe, Mongwe, Nyabindi, Nyantumbu.

Makunyule, Nyamange, Xilowa/Shilowa (from the N’wamitwa royal branch of Valoyi, second only to Makhuva, the heirs to the Valoyi kingship), Phangweni, Mashila / Maxila, Munyai, Nkuzani.

References:
Mr T. Nkhosi-Dlamini (personal interview)
Mr E Matsebula (personal interview)
Prince M. Dlamini (personal interview)
Mr T. Ginindza (eSwatini book author)
Mr M Mathebula (xiTsonga history author)
Mr J. Matsebula (eSwatini author)
Vivmag.co.za (oral history website)