A comprehensive history of the AmaMpondo and their royal lineage
The AmaMpondo, or simply the Mpondo Kingdom, is one of the Xhosa sub-kingdoms in what is now the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Established around 500 AD, the Mpondo people have a rich history that spans centuries of cultural development, political evolution, and social transformation.
Explore the historical and cultural heartland of the Mpondo people in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa.
Establishment of the Mpondo kingdom under Nqeno
Joining of the Rharhabe Xhosa group
Pondoland Revolt against apartheid policies
Continued cultural preservation and development
The Mpondo people trace their origins to the powerful Mbo nation (AbaMbo or MaMbo), believed to have migrated from the Great Lakes region into modern-day South Africa. According to oral tradition, they are descendants of Mpondo, grandson of Sibiside, who led the once-powerful Mbo nation. The Mpondo people share common lineage with several other prominent groups, including the AmaMpondomise, AmaXesibe, AbakwaMkhize, AmaBomvu, and AmaBomvana.
The story of their origins is often told through the personification of their lands, which are said to be shaped like a horn. This narrative helps to explain their cultural practices and social structure, with Mpondo representing defense and Mpondomise representing attack and negotiation.
The Mpondo kingdom is divided into two main houses:
Notable towns in the Mpondo kingdom include Lusikisiki, Siphaqeni (Flagstaff), Mbizana (Bizana), Ntabankulu, Port St. Johns, Libode, and Ngqeleni. Mzintlava (Kokstad) was allotted to Adam Kok of the Griquas.
Mpondo and Mpondomise were twins. There is an ongoing argument about the twin who was the eldest, the most commonly held view is that Mpondo is the senior twin. It is said that while out hunting, Mpondo killed a lion and refused to hand over the skin to Mpondomise as was the custom (the senior was entitled to skins of certain animals). The tension between the two started from that day and Mpondo and his followers were the first ones to leave and settle elsewhere away from their father's land.
Located in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, this is the primary royal residence and administrative center of the Mpondo Kingdom, traditionally referred to as Eastern Mpondoland.
Situated in Libode, Eastern Cape, this house enjoyed significant autonomy and was historically known as Western Mpondoland.
* Mzintlava was allotted to Adam Kok of the Griquas
The most prominent of all kings of the Mpondo nation, King Faku resided in Qawukeni, continuing the royal tradition. The Nyandeni house was established by his son Ndamase, a distinguished general of the Mpondo army during the Mfecane wars.
The first king to cross the Mtamvuna River, establishing the kingdom in Siphaqeni.
His mother was the first woman whose "ikhazi" (dowry) was paid by the kingdom, making him the first "kumkani" in the modern sense.
Known for his militant resistance against colonial rule, particularly opposing hut taxes. His bravery led to his imprisonment on Robben Island. The King Sigcau Bravery Award was established in his honor.
King Cabe was the first king of the Mpondo nation to cross the Mtamvuna River and settled in
Siphaqeni. King Ngqungqushe's mother was the first woman whose "ikhazi" (dowry) was paid for by the
kingdom, which makes King Ngqungqushe the first "kumkani" in the modern sense.
King Sigcau is known for his militancy in his fight against colonial rule and imposition of colonial
policies, notably the hut taxes in the Mpondo Kingdom. He was later arrested for these actions
and incarcerated in Robben Island. He remains a hero to the Mpondo people and admired for his
bravery. King Sigcau Bravery Award was launched in his honour. His son King Marelane would become
one of the founding Kings of the oldest political party in Africa the African National Congress in
1912 in support of the fight against colonial rule in South Africa. His grandson Nkosi Ntsikayezwe
Sigcau would follow in the footsteps of his forefathers and become an ANC liberation activist,
contributing in the struggle for liberation in South Africa. This also saw him arrested and harassed
for his political activities.
There are three types of clans found in Mpondoland (kwa-Mpondo/emaMpondweni) today:
Some of the following clans were followers of Mpondo kings from the beginning, while others came later during the reign of Faku:
Izilangwe (lineage of the Silangwe clan) - SILANGWE was the head and founder of abakwaSilangwe clan. He was known by the praise name VALANGOMKHONTW'MNYANGO (Block the entry by a spear), a great warrior who led his clan against intruders.
These tribes/clans are not unique to Mpondoland. They are smaller groups who left their original tribes/kingdoms and were given land by Mpondo Kings, thus becoming part of the AmaMpondo Kingdom and paying tribute to Mpondo Kings.
There were varying reasons that led to the revolts notably the land rehabilitation programme, the Bantu Authorities System and the increase in taxes.
The land rehabilitation programme was a system that entailed the colonisers keeping the fertile soils to themselves and allocating the less fertile lands to the local people. The Mpondo people revolted against this.
This system brought about tension between the people of Pondoland and their chiefs. The Bantu Authorities System created a pseudo sense of power as colonial authorities gave chiefs limited power, ensuring that administrative duties were still being assigned to the colonial government. This disrupted the system as people were used to being consulted at the Inkundla before decisions were made. Inkundla was when members of a community met together to discuss issues affecting the district/area and made decisions.
The first signs of revolt were apparent through local vigilante groups such as the Makhuluspani. The
Makhuluspani was a group that was created in a bid to combat stock theft in the districts of Tsolo
and Qumbu in the 1950s. It is reported that these groups targeted headmen and chiefs who were
cooperating or suspected to be cooperating with the colonial government. There were also
conflicts around the Bizana area during that same year as the government intended to fence off a
certain area on the coastal area to reserve the forests and coastal zones without having consulted
the people of Pondoland. People were evicted out of their land, and at one stage during evictions
police were attacked.
In 1959, in the Bizana district, Saul Mabude who was the chairman of the district authority and
advocate for the Bantu Authorities system was asked to meet with the people of that community. He
was tasked with explaining the Bantu Authorities system to them, however he did not show up as he
feared for his life. The consequence to his actions resulted in him having his house burnt and the
police terrorizing the people in that area. This did not deter the Pondo people from mobilising
against the government, who made it clear to Chief Sigcau, who was the King at the time that the
Bantu system was not going to be enforced on their watch.
In June 1960 a meeting was called at Ngquza Hill. These meetings had become the norm during the
apartheid era around that area as people used them to educate each other on the events that were
taking place, thus the meetings on the hill were not held secretly. The police were tipped about the
meeting, who in turn upon their arrival fired on the people at the hill. This resulted in the arrest
of 23 people and the death of 11 people. In retaliation, there was an ambush on a police patrol
in Flagstaff. These people were shot at by the police, resulting in the injury of two policemen and
the arrest of one headman.
In November 1960 in Flagstaff, a mass meeting was called at Ngqanduli. Chief Vukayibambe called the
police and helped disperse the meeting. One of the protesters was killed, this resulting in
Vukayibambe's kraal being set on fire and his death. All those who had an affiliation with the chief
and supported him were killed, injured and their kraals set alight. The police were sent to defuse
the situation.
A commission of inquiry was held right after the massacre. The demands from the people of Pondoland
entailed the Bantu Authorities, Bantu Education Acts being withdrawn, the relief from taxes.
Their demands were not met, and in retaliation the Pondo boycotted all white owned stores in
Pondoland.
By the end of November 1960, a state of emergency was declared in Pondoland, in Flagstaff, Bizana,
Tabankulu, Lusikisiki and Mount Ayliff. No one could access those areas without a permit, and the
west of Umtata was closed off. The revolts were shut down through heavy policing and raiding tax
evaders. The Bantu Home Guard was also established by the chiefs in a bid to shut down the revolts,
with the aid of the military force that was sent by the state in a bid to subjugate the areas in
Pondoland where the revolts had occurred till 1963.
In 1960, a total of 4,769 had been imprisoned during this period of the revolts from 1950 and 1960,
and 2,067 brought to trial and it is reported that 30 people were sentenced to death during August
and October in 1961.
The Mpondo people are one of the major tribes that produce and consumes the genre of music called Maskandi but the Mpondo people are unique in a performance of ukusina(Nguni dance) and their own traditional dance called "imfene" (baboon dance). This dance(imfene) is performed by young ones and adults of both sexes to the sounds of Maskandi music
Mpondo Culture and Heritage Festival is celebrated annually by Mpondo to celebrate their culture and
heritage. It is the biggest cultural event celebrated in the Kingdom attended by approximately over
20,000 people preceded by the Annual Mpondo Reed Dance. It is held in September of every year at
Lwandlolubomvu Great Place, Ntabankulu; palace of the customary head Jongilanga Sigcau. Ntabankulu
is the mountainous part of the Mpondo Kingdom surrounded by the great Mzimvubu River. Ntabankulu in
Mpondo language means 'Big Mountains'. September is important in Mpondo history as it was originally
the Mpondo new year in the ancient Mpondo calendars and also two of the Mpondo Kings King Mqikela
and King Sigcau were born on this month.
The Mpondo culture and Heritage Festival also celebrates
the roles played by these icons, including the legendary kings Faku, Mqikela, Sigcau, Marhelane
amongst others. This events also seeks to promote cultural diversity through sharing of Mpondo
culture and heritage with other cultures from South Africa, broader African continent and beyond the
oceans. It attracts a lot of tourists, both local and international, and is one of the biggest
events in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
According to the ancient AbaMbo people, including Mpondo September is the first month of the year.
There are some Mpondo people who recognise the appearance of the Pleiades ("isilimela") to signal
The most prominent of all kings of the Mpondo nation is Faku (1780–1867); he resided in Qawukeni as it's still the tradition today. The Nyandeni house was established by Ndamase, Faku's right-hand son and a prominent general of the Mpondo army during the Mfecane wars.Genealogy of Kings
Historical Milestones
Faku kaNgqungqushe, son of Ngqungqushe kaNyawuza was the last ruling monarch of the Mpondo Kingdom in Southern Africa. During his reign, King Faku consolidated and unified several groups and expanded the territory he had inherited from his father.
In 1844, he forged an alliance with the Cape Colony and encouraged British colonization of Natal, thus ensuring his own kingdom would have boundaries that were defined according to Western standards at the time. The kingdom was eventually annexed by the British Empire, became part of the Cape Colony and is today a section of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
Paramount Chief Botha Sigcau was a chief in Eastern Pondoland, Transkei, South Africa (1939–1976) and later the figurehead President of Transkei from 1976 to 1978. A graduate of University of Fort Hare, Sigcau was an early supporter of the Bantu Authorities in Transkei and was rewarded by the South African government when he was appointed chairman of the Transkei Territorial Authority, the parliament before independence.
Botha Sigcau was a graduate of University of Fort Hare. In 1939, the government gave Botha Sigcau
the chieftaincy over his half-brother, Nelson Sigcau, who the Mpondo felt was their rightful
heir. Botha Sigcau was favoured by the apartheid government because they could pay him a large
salary in exchange for control of the Transkei. When the Transkei was formed in 1976, Botha Sigcau
was appointed the first President of Transkei in Eastern Pondoland, South Africa. Kaiser Matanzima
was his elected deputy. The area was granted self-governance under the apartheid regime. The area
was known as the Republic of Transkei and it was a Bantustan, an area set aside for members of a
specific ethnicity. Botha Sigcau was instrumental in writing the constitution of the Transkei.
There was popular opposition to Botha Sigcau's chieftaincy because he lacked legitimacy according to
Pondo custom. Opposition also arose because Sigcau openly supported the Bantu Authorities and the
National Party. There was also widespread corruption in the government appointed tribal courts of
Eastern Pondoland, which Botha Sigcau ruled over. In 1958, all the Pondoland districts were invited
to send representatives to a large gathering called by the Minister of Bantu Administration and
Development Michel Daniel Christiaan de Wet Nel, and Botha Sigcau. In this meeting, both Nel and
Sigcau promised to grant Pondo chiefs seats in local government as councillors but, in practice,
Sigcau selected councillors from his own friends and supporters.
Dissent over Botha Sigcau’s leadership as president and chief came to its height during the 1960s
Mpondo Revolt. A popular movement of resistance arose among the people, and although meetings
were illegal, they were held just the same and attended by thousands of people, who came on foot and
on horseback to chosen spots on the mountains and ridges. The demands of the people were: the
withdrawal of the Bantu Authorities and Bantu Education Acts; representation in the Republic’s
parliament; relief from the increased taxes and passes which hampered free movement; and the removal
of Paramount Chief Botha Sigcau. The Pondos discovered that news of their meetings was reaching the
magistrate. Drastic action was taken against these informers; huts were burnt down, and many of them
were forced to flee from the area.
On June 6, a massacre occurred when people met to discuss their complaints. Two aircraft and a
helicopter dropped tear-gas and smoke bombs on the crowd, and police vehicles approached from two
directions. Although it was a peaceful gathering, 11 people died and 23 were arrested after the
meeting on a charge of ‘fighting’, and of these 19 were convicted and sentenced. It is reported
that Sigcau fired the first shot from the helicopter.
On 1 December 1978, Botha Sigcau died of a heart attack in Umtata.
King Botha Manzolwandle Sigcau's daughter, Princess Stella Sigcau, was the senior member of amaMpondo Royal family, was the leader of the Transkei National Independence Party, the first female Prime Minister of Transkei in 1987, appointed in different portfolos after 1994 national elections as a Minister of Public Enterprise from 1994 to 1999, Minister of Public Works from 1999 to 2006 . King Mpondombini Thandizulu Sigcau was the eldest son of King Botha Manzolwandle Jongilizwe Sigcau who succeeded him as a King of amaMpondo in 1978. King Botha Manzolwandle's youngest son was Nkosi
Today, the Mpondo people continue to preserve their rich cultural heritage while adapting to modern South Africa. The region remains an important cultural and historical center, with many traditional practices and customs still observed.