Page 19 - Heritage Streets of KwaMashu 2025

Kingship) – and they ended up in this area after the defeat of iNKosi Zwide by King Shaka. From uMngeni until Amanzimtoti River, there were the Magaye people (oCele, Ndosi). On the other side from Kwa Makhutha to the Mbumbulu area you will find the Makhanya (Gumede, Qwabe) including some in the Ndwedwe areas and what is today the Clermont areas. Makhutha ran away from Mthandeni because of King Dingane – settling with aMambo (Mbumbulu came from the clan’s name of Mkhizes, amaMbo and when they see others who are not theirs, they referred to them as AmaMbo-Mbu-mbulu, shorten as Mbumbulu). (Oral history tells of AmaMbo migrating from Kenya and accompanied among others by ama-Langeni (later Mhlongo) (famous of farming the ukhova big banana whom they brought to Southern Africa from central Africa after originating from South Sudan (with the Bhungane/Radebe thought to be the first to settle in the southern Africa eNingizimu). Ama-Mbo themselves separated from their other group, which trekked further north and west of Africa settling in what today is Nigeria and becoming known as “Igbos” same as “AmaMbos. AmaMbo that went south of Africa later became known as the “Mkhizes” – one of their main sons – named because amaMbo people always followed “imikhizo yemvula” whilst searching for better grazing for their livestock of cattle. The ama-Langeni section
separated at Mhlabuyalingana, with the other group trekking across to what is today Swaziland and becoming o”Dlamini” for “eating the land of Masekos in daylight”. In addition, as per their culture, the Langeni people did not eat when the sun had set, in respect of iLanga/abeLanga. The other group of amaLangeni settled along the Mthinemide area of Mthonjaneni, at the mountains of Langeni (Langwe) building their eNgugeni Kraal and later became Mhlongos of Langeni – Mhlongo (Ngqeshe) being their most loved King - “singabakaMhlongo” – a name that naturally transformed into a surname “Mhlongo”, dwarfing the original Langeni (Magwaza, Zincume, Masinga, Bhebhe, Dlamini are therefore some of the Langeni lineage surnames). On the other side the Dlamini-Langeni’s, out of respect for their heritage named their currency, “amaLangeni” as a heritage respect symbol after their freedom from British rule). (Etymologically Mhlongo comes from ukuhlonga ngoba besafika babengenalutho olutheni oluningi) (Sengiyathile)!
With colonisation intensification and more factories built for hostel residents of Kwa Mashu and later Dalton Hostel, a sorghum beer factory was also built near Dalton Hostel, Maydon Wharf, which is also adjacent to Unilever (Lever Brothers), then Dunlop and other many factories overlooking the Harbour.
HERITAGE STREETS OF KWA-MASHU 15