The Tsonga identity is a bit confusing, this is because
people want to understand it from a South African/lineage/Shangaan perspective.
The Tsonga identity is an ancient identity, it is not a lineage – it developed
over time, there is no such thing as an original Tsonga tribe/people/group or
language. The Tsonga identity is a UNIFIED identity of an ethnic group made up
of tribes with different origins. The Tsonga ethnic group runs on a horizontal
gorvernance system but that is no longer practical and possible as ancient
Tsonga country is no more, parts of it are in Mozambique, South Africa,
Swaziland and Zimbabwe. We cannot continue without a centralized authority, but
it is another challenge as we are divided by borders. This why we cannot have a
paramount King of the entire ethnic group.
Now, understand that the Tsonga people use their ethnic
identity instead of tribal identities. This is why people were easily convinced
that they are Shangaan as they percieved it as an alternative identity of the
ethnic group. Obviously we cannot dismiss those who were Shangaan subjects, but
how many subjects did the Nxumalo’s have to be convinced that we are all
Shangaan? And when the Shangaan Kingdom fell, how many of Tsonga people remaind
Shangaan as compared to those who reclaimed their true identities? But more
than anything, how are we Shangaan – is it by conquest or assimilation or what?
Nxumalo failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that we are
his subjects. All he has is people. Tsonga chiefs and Tsonga musicians claiming
to be Shangaan and defending the Shangaan banner but no historical proof of any
of his claims. Yet Nxumalo’s people and agents are Tsonga, they speak it, live
it and know no other identity other than VuTsonga. The Nxumalo’s of Soshangaan
are not Zulu, don’t confuse Nguni with Zulu. The Amandwandwe led by Soshangaan
refused to be Zulu but ended up being assimilated into the Tsonga ethnic group.
The Shangaans way of life is more Tsonga than Nguni or Zulu. The Nguni
influence on Tsonga is not owed to the Shangaan, but there are other Nguni
groups by origin who joined VaTsonga long before the Shangaans.
WHO IS TSONGA?
Please note that the following are only the major groups,
but I will post a list of all Vatsonga tribes and lingustic groups.
Tsonga Tribes and Surnames:
Hlengwe: Cauwuke (Chauke), Makondo, Mavasa (Mabasa),
Hlungwani, Maceke, Mbiza etc.
N’wanati: Makwakwa, Mondlane, Maluleke, Ndlala, Mparhuki etc
Nhlave: Nkuna, Mavunda (Mabunda), Maswanganyi, Nkwinika,
Novela etc.
Khosa: Rikhotso, Masuluke, Mbhanyele, Masiya, Nsumbani etc.
Khalanga: Valoyi (Baloyi), Tembe, Mahumani, Makhubele,
Makaringi, Mukansi etc.
Ndau: Maxava (Mashaba/Machava), Sithole, Moyana, Miyambu,
Simango etc.
Shangaan: Nxumalo, Mkhatshwa, Mkhonto, Muyanga etc.
Tribes such as Manganyi, Ndlhovhu, Mathonsi (to name a few)
have no major groupings.
TSONGA DIALECTS
The following is an extract from the Tsonga history
perspective by Mandla Mathebula, Robert Nkuna, Hlengani Mabasa and Mukhacani
Maluleke [Initially written as a response to the Tsonga-Shangaan kingship
debate].
Henri P Junod, postulated that Tsonga communities could be
divided into these dialects:
(a) Hlengwe – mainly found in the upper Limpopo river and
Save river in Mozambique and Southern Eastern Zimbabwe. The Hlengwe dialect is
a transition between standard Tsonga and Tshwa
(b) Hlanganu – historically found in Swaziland, Mpumalanga
Kruger National Park and between Sabie and Nkomati rivers in Mozambique. The
Hlanganu dialect is a transition between mainstream Tsonga [based largely on
Dzonga] and Ronga.
(c) Dzonga (South) – found between the Sabie and Nkomati
rivers
(d) N’walungu (North) – mainly found between Limpopo and the
Olifants River in Mozambique
(e) Vatshwa – mainly found in Inhambane in Mozambique
(f) Xika -mainly found in North East Nkomati in Mpumalanga
(g) Ronga (East) – mainly found in the Northern KwaZulu
Natal and Maputo region in Mozambique. In KZN there are two Ronga dialects
worth mentioning: the Xissonga in the Pongola valley, more especially in the
Ndumo area and the Xikonde around the Saint Lucia Bay. These two sub-dialects
may be nearer to extinction.
(h) Bila (Vila) – found in Bileni in Mozambique.
These people were so named mainly because of their
geographical location and dialects. Though they spoke different dialects, the
language and cultural practices were largely the same. Hence they constituted a
single cultural and linguistic community.
Note that these dialects in present day South Africa are not
identifiable to the speakers of Xitsonga, it is mostly Linguistics that can be
able to differentiate between the Xitsonga dialects. To the man on the street,
ku na:
Xitsonga xa le Xikolweni – written standard Xitsonga, made
up of all Xitsonga dialects in South Africa.
Xitsonga xa ka Malamulele – spoken in Malamulele and
surrounding areas.
XiGiyani – spoken in Giyani and sourrounding areas.
Xi-wena-wena - spoken in Tzaneen, Nkowankowa &
surrounding areas.
Xibush (Kukhuluma) – known as Xichangani, spoken mostly in
Mpumalangana.
Xizambikwa – all Mozambican Xitsonga dialects.
The reason why us Tsonga people cannot tell which dialect is
which, is because Standard Xitsonga is in a way regarded as pure or original
Xitsonga. I remember even in class teachers would dismiss us when we spoke
Xitsonga the way we speak it at home, and also the Xitsonga curriculum is not
proper. It fails to teach the language and history ya Xitsonga na VaTsonga. The
standardization of Xitsonga has caused more problems than good (my opinion). To
this day we still argue over ‘ndz vs ni’, ‘valavula vs vulavula’, ‘rifo vs
rifu’ – these arguments and confusion could be avoided if standard Xitsonga was
properly explained to the people of South Africa. Standard Xitsonga is not
original Xitsonga but it is political correct Xitsonga, used in formal settings
and not applicable in non-formal settings.
Part two of “We are Tsonga not Shangaan” will prove that the
Shangaan did not conquer the Tsonga ethnic group.
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