Gwebu Clan Names History and Origin

Gwebu clan names are common in many nations around the world. Their totem is Moyo and their chidau is Sinyoro.

Until recently this community was under headman Makuvisi. He became chief Gambiza after the death of Makumbe.

His dunhu was given to his sons Mugumba and Chino. Mabvure Gudo was his senior sadunhu under Nhema.

Gwebu Clan Names

• Gwebu
• Mbuso
• Mlotshwa
• Thabekhulu
• Nsele
• Magabela
• Nhlangano
• Zikode
• Nyawo
• Mlangeni

Mpangayi

The Mpangayi Community is a subdistrict of Marume with sadunhu Chatindo from Njanja tribe, Moyo totem and Sinyoro chidau as their sadunhu Chatindos; composed of villages such as Gombe hills, Rutungagore Chinadendi Chamakava hill and Dombatomba as its settlements; its name being taken from their hereditary chief known as Gambiza who died leaving behind different areas he had ruled over; his sons took over those areas he had ruled before moving as they sought better land from one area to the next in search of better conditions.

This community belongs to the Shumba totem, Masinire chidau and Mhari tribes. Their ancestors had royal lineage and resided within Mhari lands occupied by this community; Mudzengi, Takawira and Gumira serve as headmen.

Due to drought and poor rainfall in Matabeleland South, the Ndebele-speaking people of Esigodini had to relocate from their ancestral lands at Esigodini into Buhera in Matabeleland North in 1997. Although forced out, they managed to preserve both language and customs while adopting Zezuru traditions despite speaking Ndebele.

Mbiru had four sons; Nyashanu, Musarirambi, Chiweshe and Hwata. Following Mbiru’s death his children split into two factions to fight over who should lead the tribe; thus leading to two communities within Mpangayi being formed – Nyashanu and Musarirambi moved east towards Hamayavahera while Chiweshe and Hwata headed northwards towards Bvumbura before ultimately their descendants settled within present-day Mpangayi.

Garamwera

The Garamwera Clan is one of several subsets of Vahera tribe. Members of this community speak Ndebele language and practice Zezuru customs; its headquarters can be found in Makumbe, Zimbabwe.

The name of this tribe derives from an incident surrounding one of its founders, Mbiru. After killing an eland which served as their totem and eating it themselves, his four sons Mutekwekwa, Hwata, Masarirambi and Chiweshe broke away due to fear from elders, leaving the country.

In 1951, the community was placed under headman Makuvisi of the Vahera clan. This position of trust allows him to allocate land. If any village heads disagreed with this allocation of resources, they could seek advice from Chief Nyashanu.

Village committees are responsible for overseeing cultivation on their lands and conducting rainmaking ceremonies to encourage crops to flourish; elders will oversee these ceremonies. Kraal heads also play an integral part in settling land disputes; they typically receive compensation to facilitate this task and must reach consensus with fellow villagers to resolve disputes; otherwise the case will be taken up by the headman of Vahera tribe.

Neshangwe

This is a Ndebele community that was originally under the chiefdom of Makumbe and later became the Nsigodini clan. They are now in the Charter district. The ancestors of the Nsigodini people were Zezuru speakers and practiced Zezuru customs. Their descendants are now in the Gwebu chie aincy and can speak both Ndebele and Zezuru. They can also be found in other areas.

The Nsigodini migrated to Zimbabwe from the Midlands seeking farming land and they still retain their Ndebele language and culture. They are often found in rural areas and their communities are often small. This is because they are highly mobile and often travel long distances to find work. They are also known to be a hardworking and friendly community.

Nsigodini is a large dunhu that extends from Wida hill to Nyamakupfu river. It is bordered to the north by Buhera district, to the east by Rusape and the Sabi river, and to the west by Gutu District. This dunhu has the chidau of Masinire and its sadunhu is Mhloro.

The first chief was called Muchinda of Gambiza who is considered the founder of this Ndebele community. He fought the local tribes for land but was unsuccessful. Therefore, he decided to seek recognition from the Rozvi King. The king agreed to recognize him but required that he adopt the Moyo totem and Sinyoro chidau.

Makumbe

This community belongs to the Hera tribe whose mutupo is Shava and chidau Museyamwa. Their hero is believed to have speared and killed an eland in this area and this is the reason their name derives from the word eland. The ancestors of Hera occupied Wiltshire Estate but later moved to Sabi North which was then Njanja territory. The gwebu is known for its Mitoro ceremonies and the first one was held in 1920. This was followed by a series of celebrations which are held every year to mark the anniversary of the death of Hera’s hero.

The headman of this community is Maburutse of the Dziva totem and Pakuru chidau. He is the son of Mawire who came from the Chirawi hill. Mawire had many children and his first wife had Mufuratidze and Muchuchu who lived in the same dunhu with their husband. His second wife had Mafuruse and Matsayi and his third wife had Wechuma who later ruled as chief Nyashanu. Maburutse was responsible for settling the people of his community and would decide where they should live.

The earliest headman of this community was Mavedzenge who was of the Nzou totem and Ngipa chidau. He divided his dunhu into two parts and one part fell to Mugumba while the other fell into the hands of Chino who was the younger brother of Mavedzenge.