KING BHUNGANE AND THE NATAL GOVERNMENT The Author uses two royalty titles when writing history of the South Eastern Bantu “Blacks” (i) King for the dynasty that reigned prior to the arrival of Europeans in natal (ii) Paramount chief for all those who ruled during the Colonial government up to the present era. King Bhungane’s date of birth is not clearly known but the fact is that he was already an old man during the reign of King Tshaka. We understand that his son and heir king Mthimkhulu II had “ascended the throne for some time when war broke out between chief Kondlo of the Ama-Ntshali tribe and Chief Matiwane of the Ama-Ngwane tribe in 1819. again we learn that the Boer government requested him to meet the members of parliament in Pietermaritzburg in the year 1840. The Boers did not know that he was a very old monarch. King Bhungane was the most popular among the Hlubi Monarchs. He was known and praised by the Hlubis as Bhungane O-makhulu-khulu. The praise was not in reference to the thousands of his subjects or cattle but to his wives who were more than three hundred. He lived peacefully with his neighbours. No neighbouring chief that ever threatened him or thought of invading his country because the chiefs of other tribes respected him as their son in law. He had almost married the daughter of all the minor and principal chiefs in Natal, Swaziland and Lesotho. The Hlubi revered their chief as a man with super natural powers. He was believed that he was responsible for the abundant harvest of all type of agricultural products. The chief of their neighbouring states appealed to him for rain during dry seasons. In 1840 King Mpande of Kwazulu informed the Boer government in Natal that he was not practically reigning all the blacks in Natal as the whites had thought, hence there was a powerfull tribe of the Hlubis which was under King Bhungane. That tribe was fortunate to remain free from king Tshaka’s conquering powers and Dominations. The Boers were not happy to hear that there existed a man was called a king in their new republic of Natal. Infact they had a wrong idea that all the blacks in Natal and Kwazulu were automatically under the reign of the new monarch King Mpande. On hearing the unexpected news the Boer government sent emissaries to request king Bhungane to meet the members of the parliament in Pietermaritzburg for discussions. King Bhungane being very much advanced in age, he could not possibly travel all the way to Pietermaritzburg, besides old age he was afraid of the Boers because he knew how they treated King Dingane. However he promised that their request would be considered. On the departure of the white messengers, a special meeting was held at the palace to make quick decisions before the feared whites felt offended. The councilors mistrusted the whites but Nyangane one of the King Bhungane’ sons of minor houses volunteered to go to Pietermaritzburg .He was then given the king’s attire so as to appear exactly like a King, Most fortunately the messengers did not see the face of the king as it was great privilege and honour for a stranger to be brought to the presence of the king –partly that was done for the security reasons. The boers were pleased to meet Nyangane who introduced himself as king Bhungane. They told him that their intention was to establish good neighbourliness with all Blacks in Natal as they had already done the same with King Mpande in Zululand. Nyangane was Cooperative and he told them that he had no objection to their proposals of signing documentary agreements to that effect. When Nyangane reached home, he told his father, that the were no problems encountered in Pietermaritzburg. The Boers were friendly and all what they wanted from him was to sign a friendship agreement with emphasis on that the Hlubis and the Boer government would assist each other in times of war. He also told the aged king that the Boers did not have the slightest doubt that he was not a king. King Bhungane felt that the Boers would be furious in case they learned later that he had fooled them by sending one of his sons of minor houses not even Mthimkhulu II to pose as a king and to sign important documents with them. The king then instructed his son Nyangane to return to Pietermaritzburg with a group of people “Hlubis” men, women and children who were willing to go. He had to tell the Boers that he changed his mind when he reached home as he felt that there was a dire need for him to live closely to his new whites friends, for his own security and for the good of the whites in times of war. The whites thanked him for his good ideas. they placed him and his followers next to the Ntlangwini tribe under chief Sidoyi a section of which was left behind when a large section under chief Nombewu and his heir Fodo trekked to uMzimkhulu district. Nyangane’s Mission for being of service at a short notice to Boers was very brief because the British colonial government took over from the Boers, stating that the remained being the being the subjects of the British as they were conquered by them in the Cape colony. Nyangane then told his followers that they had to return home because the Boers that were feared by his father were then powerless. The Hlubis were unwilling to return instead they wanted to join chief Sidoyi who had intentions to proceed to a no man’s land across the uMzimkhulu river with his Ntlangwini tribe. The Hlubis enforced Nyangane to also join chief Sidoyi Baleni. The Hlubis feared that they would be labeled as mutineers in case their leader returned to his father being alone. They knew what would be the results. The Hlubis were incorporated to the Ntlangwini tribe which was of course a large body. Chief Sidoyi and his tribe finally settled in the district of uMzimkhulu. They selected a beautiful land along the Gungululu River. At the time when it became compulsory by Act of Parliament in Cape Town that all the Blacks “Natives” had to be registered in magistrate offices for a statistical records and in order not to evade tax, Nyangane instructed all the members of his large family to use Bhungane as their surname lest the future generations forget that they were the direct descendants of King Bhungane. Nyangane heir was Ngoxwane the latter’s heir Mjaro. The old man had several wives but among his sons he favoured Gwembeshe who inherited the European attire, which was a special gift from the Boers in Pietermaritzburg in1840. The attire was just as good as new as the owner always kept it in an iron box. It was likely that the old man presented the kit to his son Gwembeshe in recognition of his valour in warfare during Hope’s war in 1880 (Mr. Hope was a magistrate of Qumbu who was killed together with his three white clerks by chief Mhlontlo). The Basotho under the chief Lerothodi and Chief Masupa joined the rebellion of the Pondomisa’s under chief Mhlontlo. The Basotho in the district of Matatiele and at King Scote area, also joined their fellow men Lesotho. The cause of the rebellion was the disarmament act of 1872, which was also responsible for the war between the Natal Government and Hlubis in Natal under their paramount chief Langalibalele. In fact all the chiefs were against that act. Chief Sidoyi offered himself to assist the Cape government in breaking the back bone of the rebellion. Chief Sidoyi who was very old 1880 requested Gwembeshe Bungane tp lead the Ntlangwini army which was immediately joined by the Bacas. Gwembeshe became a commander in chief to both armies. Mr. Walker “Mhlongohlongo” was delegated by the magistrate Mr. McDonald Straghen to supply the large native army with guns and to keep the names of the recruits or mercenaries in a register so as to make it easier to pay them at their end of their services. Chief Mhlontlo and his Friends were totally defeated. Chief Mhlontlo fled to Lesotho where he remained in hiding for many years. REFFERNCE: THE SOUTH EASTERN BANTUS by H. Soga
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 10:34:39 +0000
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