The Majola clan
Wikipedia’s article on the Mpondomise says the mole snake (umajola) is revered as a protective, ancestral presence among them, links the animal to the novel Ingqumbo Yeminyanya, and calls the Jola or Majola the royal clan, which it says descends from intermarriage between the Mpondomise and San. It says the same article lists royal and tributary clans from a Xhosa-language source. Most of these statements are largely unsourced, and the article carries notices for multiple issues, weasel words and unsourced statements, so we cannot treat any of them as established, and we do not say the claim of San descent is correct. The name Majola is a common surname and we claim no link between surname-holders and the royal clan.
What the Commission and others say
The Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims records, in its Thembu determination, that the amaMpondomise, with the amaNdungwana and amaXesibe, helped the Thembu king Dlomo against his brother Hlanga at the Battle of Msana; it does not use the name Majola. We found no source that names the Majola kings, gives a date for the clan, or explains why the snake is its totem.
What we have not read
We have not read Hammond-Tooke (1968), Mkhize (2009), Jordan (1940) or Soga (1930), cited by the Wikipedia article, or the Xhosa-language source for its clan list. We found no Mpondomise-authored account of the Majola on a page we could open.
Izithakazelo and totem
The only totem we have is the mole snake, from Wikipedia. We are printing no praises. If you belong to the Majola clan and recite your izithakazelo, we would like to record them, with your permission and credited to you.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Mpondomise people (several tags)
- Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims: Determination on abaThembu bakwaDalindyebo
Do you belong to the Majola clan? 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.