Gumede in the Zulu chiefly line
South African History Online’s article “Zulu Family History” lists Gumede kaZulu as the eighth name in its list of Zulu chiefs and kings: the son of Zulu kaNtombela, “founder and chief of the Zulu clan from ca. 1709”, and the father of Phunga kaGumede (died 1727, chief up to 1727) and Mageba kaGumede (about 1667 to 1745, chief 1727 to 1745). It gives no dates for Gumede himself. The line continues to Ndaba kaMageba (about 1697 to 1763, chief 1745 to 1763), Jama kaNdaba (about 1757 to 1781, chief 1763 to 1781), Senzangakhona kaJama (about 1757 to 1816, chief 1781 to 1816) and Shaka (about 1787 to 1828, king 1816 to 1828).
Problems with the list
The page cites no sources for the names or dates, and most dates are marked “about”. Some do not fit: Mageba is given as born about 1667, before his grandfather Zulu founded the clan about 1709, and Jama and his son Senzangakhona are both given as born about 1757. We therefore treat the dates as approximate at best.
Gumede as a surname and clan name
Gumede is a common surname and an isibongo in KwaZulu-Natal. We have found no source that connects people named Gumede today with this early chief, so we do not say they descend from him; the shared name may be coincidence, or the surname may be older than the chief. The planning list that gave rise to this entry gave no source either.
What we have not read
We have not read James Stuart’s Archive or other Zulu histories, and we found no Gumede-authored history or praise text.
Izithakazelo and totem
We are printing no Gumede praises or totem because none has been confirmed. If you are Gumede 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 Gumede? 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.