Ntombela in the Zulu chiefly line
South African History Online’s article “Zulu Family History” lists Ntombela kaMalandela as the sixth name in its list of Zulu chiefs and kings, the son of Malandela kaLuzumana and the father of Zulu kaNtombela, whom it calls “founder and chief of the Zulu clan from ca. 1709”. The earlier names it lists are Mnguni, Nkosinkulu, Mdlani, Luzumana and Malandela, with no parentage for the first four and no dates. It gives no dates for Ntombela. The list continues through Gumede (see Gumede), Phunga, Mageba, Ndaba, Jama and Senzangakhona to Shaka.
Cautions
The page cites no sources for any name or date and several of the dates it does give are internally inconsistent, as we note on the Gumede page. We have not read other Zulu histories that may date the clan and order its early chiefs differently. We cannot say whether Ntombela is a historical person or a genealogical convention.
Ntombela as a surname and clan name
Ntombela is a common surname in KwaZulu-Natal. We have found no source that connects people named Ntombela today with this early chief, so we do not say they descend from him. The planning list that gave rise to this entry gave no source.
What we have not read
We have not read James Stuart’s Archive, Bryant’s Olden Times in Zululand and Natal or any Ntombela-authored history, and found no praise text.
Izithakazelo and totem
We are printing no Ntombela praises or totem because none has been confirmed. If you are Ntombela and recite your izithakazelo, we would like to record them, with your permission and credited to you.
Sources and further reading
- South African History Online: Zulu Family History (no author named; cites no sources)
Are you Ntombela? Tell us your praises and what elders say about the history, and we will add it, credited to you. Share what you know or WhatsApp 065 138 8213.