Mmbidi in the sources
Mmbidi was a headman (gota) in one of the Mphaphuli villages and the mukoma muhulwane of the Mphaphuli ruler, whom the Mphaphuli house sent to Pretoria in the 1890s. Mulaudzi tells his story in his study of the war between Mphephu and the Boer republic.
What the sources say
Mulaudzi writes that the Boer commander who accompanied Magistrate Munnik sent a constable to the Mphaphuli ruler to ask him to send a wise, trusted man to Pretoria, where the government wanted to discuss an urgent matter. The ruler nominated Mmbidi, whom Mulaudzi assumes had known Hendrik Potgieter and Stephanus Schoeman since his days as a herd boy. In Pretoria the government showed him its weapons and ammunition and asked whether he thought Mphephu could withstand them. Mmbidi acknowledged that nobody could, but told the officials that Mphephu wanted war and his fighters were ready. Mulaudzi reads this as a sign the Boers were wary of taking on Mphephu, and as part of their effort to isolate him (ch. 5, about pp. 113 to 115).
When General Joubert reached Fort Hendrina, Mmbidi, who had warned the Venda rulers of the coming war, accompanied them one by one to submit to Joubert in person, and the rulers were assured that their people would be safe from Boer aggression (ch. 5, p. 118). See Ranwedzi for the Mphaphuli ruler of the time.
Overview article
The missionaries’ part in the build-up to 1898 is set out in The Berlin Mission in Venda, 1872 to 1908.
Cautions
This page rests on one academic reading of settler records and oral testimony, drawn from Nemudzivhadi’s earlier work; we have not seen the Mphaphuli account of Mmbidi. The Mphaphuli house’s history is told differently in the Commission’s record, local oral history and academic work, and the names and dates do not always agree; where they differ we say so and take no side.
Izithakazelo and totem
We are printing no Mmbidi praises or totem because none has been confirmed. If you belong to the Mphaphuli house and recite its praises, we would like to record them, with your permission and credited to you.
Sources and further reading
See also Mphaphuli, Masingo and Tshivhase.
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