Dlomo in the Hlubi king list
Wikipedia’s list of Hlubi kings, whose kings table has no inline citations, gives Dlomo I a reign of 1675 to 1710, after “Ncobo and later, Hadebe” (1650 to 1675). The Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims, in its determination on the amaHlubi kingship claim, records the royal house’s account that Ncobo died without an heir, that his brother Hadebe was made regent and entered an ukungena union with Ncobo’s widow Lama Hlubi, the great wife, and that Dlomo was born of that union and succeeded. See Hadebe, which gives the full account and the dispute that followed.
Dlomo II
The Commission names Dlomo II as the heir of Mthimkhulu II, and says that when he was due to take over the kingship his uncle Mahwanqa was reluctant to hand it over, that he sought advice from Dingane and killed Mahwanqa, and that Dingane then killed him and his bodyguards, which caused a further depletion of the amaHlubi. Wikipedia’s article on Mthimkhulu II says Dlomo’s reign was short and that Dingane had the new king murdered, and notes that it calls him Dlomo II in most places but Dlomo III once. Wikipedia’s king list gives “Dlomo II and later, Mthethwa (commonly known as Langalibalele I)” the years 1839 to 1889; see Langalibalele.
What we have not read
We have found no independent source for either Dlomo; both accounts come from the Hlubi royal house’s own submission, as reported by the Commission and as reflected in Wikipedia. We have not read Wright and Manson’s The Hlubi Chiefdom (1983), Ndawo’s histories, Colenso (1875) or Bryant. The king list’s dates for Dlomo I are tradition and we do not rely on them. The Wikipedia list also gives Hadebe’s reign as running with Ncobo’s, which it does not explain.
Izithakazelo and totem
We found no recorded praises or totem for the Dlomo kings, so we are printing none. If you belong to the Hlubi royal house and recite its izibongo, 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 amaHlubi kingship claim (pp. 503 to 533 of the PDF)
- Wikipedia: Hlubi Kings
- Wikipedia: Mthimkhulu II
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