AmaMpondo - Mpondo People

As I’ve said from the post before of the amaMpondomise. The name Mpondo came came from their first King called Mpondo who was a  twin to Mpondomise & to Xesibe which they were Kings to their nations that is named after them.

The Mpondo nation is like a nation just like the Xhosa & Zulu people but they are officially labeled as Xhosas. The Mpondo too, were a fierce tribe and were able to survive as a powerful nation from the attacks of Mfecane & there were several victories from the Zulu invasion especially from the Qwabe. This was during King Faku’s reign who was able to win victories in the Mfecane era & was able to raid for cattle & also having a random attack to his enemy tribes such as the Bomvana who were once good neighbors to the Mpondo & used to have strong kinship through intermarriage but it stopped when the Bomvana fled more South near the Xhosa territory, fearing King Faku revenge because his father King Ngqungqushe died in a serious war between the Mpondo & the Bomvana. & later he also won a great victory against from their former ally, the Bhaca tribe which the Bhacas lost their King Ncapayi. King Faku had a fearless warrior son who had scars in his body which was Ndamase who was born from a right hand house from a Bomvana mother, who later became a chief to the Western Pondoland because of the dispute with Mqikela who was born from a great house later in his years and he would rule Eastern Pondoland. The diplomatic King Faku knew that the Frontier wars could damage the Mpondo kingdom which he decided to ask the British to send their missionaries & live according to their rule which he later signed that the British could have Port St Johns.

Unlike the Mpondomise & Xesibe which they speak Xhosa language today besides their accent that is still different, the Mpondo people on the other hand still have own language which is isiMpondo which their accent & the words are distinguished from other tribes today in the Eastern Cape & can be easily identified as Mpondo speakers. In the Eastern Pondoland which is known as the Qawukeni region, the isiMpondo is influenced more of the Zulu language & the Western Pondoland also known as Nyandeni region (because of woods & tall trees) is more influenced of the Xhosa language since Xhosa language is dominant more South & Zulu up North of the  Mpondo borders.

There are numerous clans in Pondoland where they descending from each Mpondo Kings along the line of the family tree & clans that are descendants coming from Shipwreck castaways. It is the Nyawuza, Ntusi, Ntlane, Gcuda , Ngcikwa, Nyuswa, Nyathi, Mthwa, Bhala, Ngcoya, Gadi, Ngcwangule, Tshomane, Abelungu, amaMolo & etc. Before King Faku’s time, the clans would make wars on each other for cattle 🐄 & for new wives. These clans did not want to destroy each other but they wanted more power & to be recognized. Before wars was made, the Mpondo clans would inform each other rules. One of the rules was not to harm women or children. Sometimes Mpondo people could be outspoken to the chiefs & if they did not agree, the Mpondo person could go live to the enemy clan or nearby Mpondo clan. When King Faku came to reign he made sure every Mpondo clan was under him & if not, the clan was the target which was the Tshomane which later they fled to the Bomvana, the enemy tribe of the Mpondos. The royal ruling clan of the is the Nyawuza, where the powerful King Faku descends from. The Tshomane where once the ruling clan of the Mpondo people until it was taken from them & now currently the Tshomane & the Abelungu clan that once lived near Port St Johns now in Bomvana land because of fleeing from King Faku & the Mfecane wars. The Tshomane & the Abelungu clan are known for having strong European ancestry while the amaMolo are known for their Indian ancestry which formed their own clan. The clan ancestry also included various Asian ancestry such as Muslim/Arab ancestry such as the Hadi clan. The amaMolo are found in the areas of Libode, Ngqeleni & South of Port St Johns. There were numerous refugees just like the Mfengus & some conquered Zulu clans (by the Mpondo) had intention to conquer Mpondos but failed such as the Mthembu & Tolo clan coming from the Zulu land but they became fully fledged Mpondo but their clans remained the same which was the Ntombela, Tolo, Dlamini, Mbhele, Radebe, Xolo & etc.

Shipwrecks in Pondoland have been happening since 7th century with the Arab shipwrecks which the Mpondo people say orally. From the 1500s to the 1800s from various European nations such as the Portuguese, British & the Dutch.  All of these castaways from the high class of people to the low class of people had no choice but to integrate & assimilate into to the Pondo clans which happened for many centuries. For example, the Grosvenor in 1780s, many women castaways married to many Mpondo people throughout the Qawukeni region (Eastern Pondoland). There were also slaves from various places that were  Black, Indian, Javanese, Japanese & Chinese as well that lived in Pondoland. Some slaves were runaway slaves from the Cape that added the gene pool in Pondoland. For example, a writer wrote that there were 400 mixed descendants coming from the Yellow slaves, Bengalese slaves & descendants of European this was near the river of Mzimvubu which is in Port St Johns. This is why I could see different range of distinctive features in Pondoland whenever I go there. It was also reported that during King Gangatha’s reign, one of the trusted soldiers was a former Mozambican slave coming from a Portuguese shipwreck. Another report it was said that there were many Mozambican slaves through many Portuguese Shipwrecks even though the castaways were Portuguese predominantly. These European castaways & slave had wives and many numerous children in the land just like one Portuguese castaway had wives & 20 children. There were also traders during colonial years that had Mpondo wives that were daughters to the chiefs. This shows the Mpondo people have been hospital for many centuries.
The Mpondo people intermarried with the San as well but more with castaways than the Mpondomise & the Xesibe since they intermarried heavily with the San people.

Mpondo people are a proud nation & they are very fond of Mfene dance which the celebration is done in spring where King Faku & Mqikela was born." We do graphic design and make youtube videos and upload them every Wednesday. Would you mind checking out our video?

Feel Free To Drop Your Comment And Remember To Click Share

Stay Connected With Us
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Blog
Tumblr
Pinterest
Youtube Channel
Flickr
WhatsApp
Website

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Warten Weg © 2016