Skosana in the sources
Skosana is named as one of the eight sons of the Ndebele king Musi in the Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims’ determination on the Ndzundza-Mabhoko, which says Skosana and his followers later joined the Ndzundza. The Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims lists eight sons of the Ndebele king Musi: Manala, Ndzundza, Masombuka, Dlomo, Skosana, Mhwaduba, Mphaphuli and Mthombeni. South African History Online lists five (Manala, Masombuka, Ndzundza, Mathombeni and Dhlomu). The sources agree on the first-born sons of the two main houses, Manala and Ndzundza, and differ on the rest.
What the sources say
South African History Online mentions Skosana families in a later setting: it says they married Msiza women and joined the Msiza move to Odi in 1953, becoming part of the extended Msiza group (see our Msiza page). Wikipedia does not list Skosana as a clan; it names Simon Skosana as a chief minister of KwaNdebele who in 1985 withdrew recognition of Chief Lazarus Mahlangu, and cites a 2010 article by Skhosana for the etymology of the name Ndebele.
Whether the Skosana of the Commission’s list, the Skosana families of the Msiza group and the name Sikhosana that Wikipedia gives to Masombuka are one lineage is not settled by anything we read. See our Masombuka page.
Cautions
The spelling varies (Skosana, Skhosana, Sikhosana) and the sources connect it to different things. We found no Skosana praise text or totem. The surname is common, and we claim no link between surname-holders and Musi’s son.
Izithakazelo and totem
We are printing no Skosana praises or totem because none has been confirmed. If you belong to the Skosana and recite your izithakazelo, we would like to record them, with your permission and credited to you.
Sources and further reading
- Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims: Determination on the position of the paramount chief of Ndzundza-Mabhoko (section 5.1, Musi and his sons)
- South African History Online: The Ndebele in history (no named author; published 2011)
- Wikipedia: Southern Ndebele people (tagged as needing more inline citations)
Do you belong to the Skosana? 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.