Mphafuli in the sources
Mphafuli, written Mphaphuli by the Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims, is named as one of the eight sons of the Ndebele king Musi. 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
The Commission says Mphaphuli and the other brothers Masombuka, Skosana, Mhwaduba and Mthombeni were later joined to the Ndzundza. Wikipedia, in a passage tagged “citation needed”, says Mphafuli and his brother Sibasa moved north into Venda territory, met resistance, and set up chieftainships at Tshivhase and Sibasa, and that some of Mphafuli’s descendants later trekked south and joined the Ndzundza. South African History Online does not mention Mphafuli.
The Commission also decided a separate claim from the Mphaphuli house in the Venda country; see our Mphaphuli page. None of the sources we read says that the Venda Mphaphuli and the Ndebele Mphafuli are the same people, and we do not claim it. Likewise the Tshivhase of the Wikipedia passage should not be confused with the royal house on our Tshivhase page without a source that links them.
Cautions
The Wikipedia account is unreferenced where it matters, and the Commission’s spelling differs from it. We found no Mphafuli praise text or totem.
Izithakazelo and totem
We are printing no Mphafuli praises or totem because none has been confirmed. If you belong to the Mphafuli 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)
- Wikipedia: Southern Ndebele people (tagged as needing more inline citations)
Do you belong to the Mphafuli? 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.