Matshobana KaMangete

Who was Matshobana KaMangete?

Matshobana KaMangete, South African and Mthwakazian traditional and ancestral leader.

Matshobana, son of chief Mangete, was the chief of the Khumalo tribe: a clan of Nguni people living near the Black Umfolozi river in kwaZulu, in South Africa, and was the father of Mzilikazi the founder of the Ndebele kingdom in Zimbabwe. Matshobana married his first wife, Nompethu KaZwide, who gave birth to Mzilikazi in 1790. It is said that when Matshobana was in charge of a regiment invading a neighbouring tribe he was caught and had his arm amputated and was later set free.

In the early 19th century the Khumalo came under pressure to join the Ndwandwe nation due to the expanding power of the Ndwandwe chief, Matshobana's father-in-law, Zwide kaLanga. The alliance was uneasy, and the Khumalos sought help from the leader of the Mthethwa kingdom, Dingiswayo, and his protégé Shaka Zulu.

In the course of an attempted invasion of Zwide's territory, Dingiswayo was captured and put to death by Zwide. Shaka Zulu escaped capture only through the help of Chief Donda Khumalo, as a result of which Zwide ordered the deaths of all three Khumalo chiefs, Beje, Donda and Matshobana.