Gundwane "Mkhaliphi" Ndiweni, (also known as Khondwane Ndiweni) was a military leader and the first Paramount Chief of
Matabeleland
Matabeleland is a region located in southwestern Zimbabwe that is divided into three provinces: Matabeleland North, Bulawayo, and Matabeleland South. These provinces are in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambe ...
. He is credited for founding modern day Matabeleand and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. He set up the first of the four capitals,
Gibxhegu around modern-day Bulawayo. He was also the maternal uncle of King
Mzilikazi
Mzilikazi Moselekatse, Khumalo ( 1790 – 9 September 1868) was a Southern African king who founded the Mthwakazi Kingdom now known as Matebeleland, in Zimbabwe. His name means "the great river of blood". He was born the son of Mashobane kaMan ...
- a brother to the kings mother, Cikose Ndiweni.
He is best known for leading King
Mzilikazi
Mzilikazi Moselekatse, Khumalo ( 1790 – 9 September 1868) was a Southern African king who founded the Mthwakazi Kingdom now known as Matebeleland, in Zimbabwe. His name means "the great river of blood". He was born the son of Mashobane kaMan ...
's splinter group to settle in Matabeleland after they left
Zululand.
For military and security reasons, King Mzilikazi split his migrating kingdom into two. One group was led by himself and the other led by Gundwane Ndiweni. Ndiweni's group traveled through central Botswana arriving in the region now known as Matebeleland, near present-day
Bulawayo
Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council ...
.
He appointed Prince Nkulumane, Mzilikali's son as the Prince, a role he served until Mzilikazi reunited with them. It is unclear what happened to him after 1836. His son Monyebe Ndiweni narrates that he died bravely in battle defending Mzilikazi. However, it is suggested by some historians that he was executed by Mzilikazi in 1836 along with other prominent leaders for treason due to this appointment and other rumored plots against the King. His own son was Monyebe Ndiweni, who was executed by Mzilikazi in 1862 for allegedly practicing witchcraft.
[Rasmussen, R. Kent. “A Lost Man in Southern African History: Kaliphi/Gundwane of the Ndebele.” The International Journal of African Historical Studies 10, no. 1 (1977): 96–110. https://doi.org/10.2307/216893.]
See also
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Khayisa Ndiweni Khayisa Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni (1913–2010) was a chief in Zimbabwe. He was hugely respected in Matabeleland and a revered figure among his people in Ntabazinduna.. He became a chief of the Matebele people of Ntabazinduna and Mbembezi in 1939. He ...
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Nhlanhlayamangwe Felix Ndiweni
Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Felix Ndiweni (born 1963) is a Ndebele traditional leader from Zimbabwe who is known as one of the few traditional leaders to speak out against the ZANU-PF government. He is a Chief in the Matabeleland region of Zimbabwe. ...
*
Mimi Ndiweni
References
Zimbabwean politicians
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