The Garden Library - 285-906 NPO

❤️A self-motivated reader who reads for pleasure!❤️

This learner visited the Protea Library to spend her break time reading 📚🎈

(pictured: reading Wonderfully Made by Tswanelo Seromula with illustrations by Subi Bosa )

We have heard your requests for more about the Vatsonga, and so tonight we share a post on Nghunghunyane and his effect on the ordinary people living among the Vatsonga and amaShangana in the 1800s. We heard from Njetimane Mavinda, whose words were recording in 1942 by NJ Mabale as he spoke, in his language. We are privileged to share these words with you now, translated into English so that more may hear his story. Let us continue from where we left off, with the ongoing conflicts between the various rulers of present-day Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Mozambique.

"When I was still a herdboy, numerous wars were fought.

After Mangondi surrendered and was overthrown, Zavani was attacked, Xisika Xamayindi also. Then there was the Bahuli battle which was fought in water, at the Nyambhavale river, but even at that one, Nghunghunyane was victorious.

There was also another person of the Vacopi tribe who was entrusted with the responsibility of keeping and breeding Nghungunyane’s cattle. Later, the owner of the cattle (Nghungunyane) sent Hlangwini of the Mabunda clan to go and take them. The name of the person of the Vacopi tribe who was looking after Nghungunyane’s cattle was Mange. Mange refused with the cattle. He was, as a result, attacked, his people killed, and the cattle repossessed. At the time, I was still at Bileni with my mother, but my brothers were already working at Spelonken. I was already grown up a bit but I was still herding cattle. Those days, a person would herd cattle until they grew a beard.

After the capture of Nghunghunyane by the Portuguese, Magigwane sent out an army to war with the Portuguese. I took part in that war. We met at Mhlohlweni battlefield. The battle was intense and the Portuguese escaped, fleeing from us. They then, solicited support from two Afrikaners, They asked the two Afrikaners to be our stalkers and make a surprise attack on us. They did, at a time when we were unsuspecting. In the early hours of the morning, at Mhlohlweni, where we had camped. They defeated us. The nickname of one of the Afrikaaners, given by Africans was: Imngoni-a-nga-dlhe-nkuku (The Nguni does not eat chicken). Many of our people were killed in that ambush. We were saved by the Vembe river. My peers and I had no boots. We were called “barefeet”, but we were young men. When we saw that we were being annihilated, we fled and crossed the river, but we were caught. The Portuguese were with some Blacks. They defeated us with ease.
I, together with other people, escaped. I ended up sleeping at Bunjune stream, a tributary of Mithi (Vembe) river. I then went away and met with Mukon’wana Malikopo. While we were standing with Malikopo, we heard the sound of gunfire. We asked each other how we could be saved. While still thinking, Malikopo ran away, leaving me on the spot, that was how we parted. I could not run as my legs were sore and painful. It turned out that the gunfire we heard was the killing of Mahonisani of Mabunda clan, Ingwenkulu’s father.

I stayed at Mukon’wana Malikopo after the war. Many people fled and migrated to Spelonken. As they were coming this side, they were with my mother. My mother died on the way, at Nghumbheni, land of Maswani, after the Rock (Ribye) of Matsambu. I got the news of my mother’s death long after she died. Even my siblings got the news long after her death as they had stayed in Spelonken for good and never left the area.

My mother died in the hands of Makwatiyane of the Nghonyama clan.

The person who remained behind, to stoke and trigger war was Magigwana. He was then pursued by ten Portuguese and ten Black people. They caught up with him in the land of the Mongwe people on the way to Mapulaneng (Mabulanini). They struck him and killed him, and beheaded him. And they took his head to present as proof when they report.

I was later to follow those who had migrated to Spelonken and settled at Mkhomi village.

I had stayed for two more years only at Bileni after the capture of Nghunghunyane.

When I arrived at Spelonken, I stayed for only two months and went to the city.

I got a job at Springs, working in a coal mine. I was earning 2-10 pounds a month. I then went to work in a gold mine, in Johannesburg, working at Mavumbuki near Robson (Robinson SAH Ed.) Gold mine. I was earning 1-15 pounds a month. Our employers were saying there was no money as it was just after the Anglo-Boer war. I worked there for 6 months."

There is much more to this story - Njetimane works in Johannesburg in various jobs, always trying to save money to afford a dowry.

To read the full writing, with side-by-side texts in both languages, contact [email protected] and order Volume 1 of the Xitsonga Heritage Writings with English translations.

The Ancestors Speak: We are Listening

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Click: https://www.litasa.org.za/conference

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The Garden library! 🙌🏼🙂🙌🏼

Did you know - Reading to your child is such an amazing, valuable and important every day activity.

🇿🇦 Benefits 🌈

📚 Developing a special bond with your child.
📚 Increased concentration and discipline.
📚 Feeds imagination and creativity.
📚 It builds self-esteem
📚 Supports cognitive development.
📚 Improves language skills.
📚 It can even improve sleeping patterns.

Please do feel free to borrow a book to take home, enjoy together and then bring it back. If you enjoy the book then of course feel free to choose another! 📖

Some of the children have already been talking to their friends about taking one home! 😃😊
🤗 Please do read away! 😉