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Obituary Prosper Ndlovu
ONE of the distinguishing attributes of the Ndebele state was its well organised leadership structure in which chiefs played a critical role in governance matters.So interesting is the location of the late Chief Solomon Sivalo Mahlangu’s chieftaincy in the great kingdom of Mzilikazi who was later succeeded by his son Lobengula.

The longest serving chief in the country, Chief Sivalo, who died aged 97, was viewed as “the last spark of the once wild Mthwakazi blaze” whose demise at a Bulawayo hospital last Monday cast a dark cloud in the history of chiefs in the country.

According to King Lobengula’s descendent Prince Peter Zwide Khumalo, the Mahlangus originate from the royal Magodonga lineage, themselves Ndebeles who were an offshoot of the Ngunis and settled in the northern province of South Africa.

Their forefathers left Zululand decades ahead of Mzilikazi who departed around 1820 but the two later developed a strong bond.

Khumalo says militaristic Mzilikazi struggled to conquer Magodonga and was for a while forced to adopt a strategic docility stance that later yielded him victory.

“The Mahlangu chieftaincy played a huge part in the Ndebele state building process. Solomon’s grandfather was a senior chief in Lobengula’s kingdom responsible for the welfare and safety of women and children, a position previously occupied by Chief Gundwane Ndiweni during Mzilikazi’s migratory rule,” said Khumalo.

He said Magodonga was an inner circle chief who was so close to the king such that when Lobengula deserted his Bulawayo palace on November 2, 1896, “he instructed Magodonga to be the last to move before ordering him to burn the palace after he had gone”.

“That was a huge responsibility because he acted as the first wall to protect the king from the whites,” said Khumalo.

He said after Lobengula’s departure, Magodonga set the palace on fire and took women and children to Chief Sivalo area in Nkayi where they took refuge.

Khumalo said the charismatic chief was able to neutralise whites by accepting Christianity, which Lobengula had refused.

“That was an important survival strategy to protect his people hence most people in Sivalo area are in one way or the other related to the Mahlangus,” he added.

Khumalo said Matabeleland was poorer without Chief Sivalo who was the only remaining senior chief who knew a lot about the Ndebele state.

“The Ndebele state and identity is not complete without a king. We were working with other chiefs to revive the Ndebele kingdom and Chief Sivalo knew this.

“He called himself Lobengula and I remember in 2010 he said “sengizaze ngife (am about to die) and nothing is being done on this revival process”.

Khumalo went on, “Today he is gone. He left us at a critical time when consultations on reviving the Ndebele state had started. It is a great loss because if you revive a kingdom it is the elderly chiefs’ opinion that works.

“It’s a loss to the whole of Mthwakazi and Zimbabwe as a whole. He was the last spark of a fire that has been burning for so long. He was the most ideal in the revival process as he loved peace and tranquility and valued heritage.”

While he maintained a low profile, Chief Sivalo’s lofty status cannot be disputed. The huge send off for him on Sunday testified to his great legacy as hundreds of people including ministers, senior government officials and chiefs from across the country bade him farewell.

To the president of the Chiefs’ Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira, Chief Sivalo was a great chief endowed with wisdom and experience from his 74 years of service.

“He served for 40 years under the colonial rule and 34 years after independence having witnessed the passing of colonial laws that dispossessed blacks of their land,” said Chief Charumbira.

“He saw it all and participated in all restoration processes in the evolution of the chiefs’ institution before and after independence. He was a unifier who discouraged regionalism and tribalism and a key advisor to chiefs with a wealth of knowledge.”

Chief Charumbira said Chief Sivalo would also be remembered for his passion to guard against the return of colonialism, which he suffered under.

“The nation is at a loss. It is sad that his wisdom is not documented. Perhaps as chiefs we need to start documenting our knowledge,” he said.

To many he was a patriotic leader and a selfless philanthropist who valued integrity.

Born on June 2, 1917, Solomon was the eldest son of Mleke Mahlangu and his wife MaNyathi. He attended school in Tsholotsho with the late Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo.

In 1940 at the age of 23, Solomon was ordained chief following the death of his father and married Jeanette Ngwenya in 1943.

The couple was blessed with eight children, three sons and five daughters, 27 grand children, 39 great grand children and five great great grand children.

He was also a devout Christian and member of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) where he was also a leader.