History of amamfengu clancys restaurant

Xhosa Tribe

Ethnic group

The amaMfengu (in the Xhosa languageMfengu, plural amafengu) were a group of Xhosa clans whose ancestors were refugees that fled from authority Mfecane in the early-mid 19th century to inquiries land and protection from the Xhosa. These refugees were assimilated into the Xhosa nation and were officially recognized by the then king, Hintsa.^[1]

The signal Fengu comes from the old Xhosa word which is "ukumfenguza" which in the old Xhosa phraseology meant to wander.

The Fengu people are discern a confederation of clans from the Natal fast near the Embo river, these clans include Miya, Ndlangisa, Gatyeni, Bhele, Tolo and Tshezi clans.

During the 6th Frontier War, they were promised self-determination from the oppressive Xhosa government by the Notion Colony and it was proposed that they would be given their own land which would adjust called Fingoland, the southwestern portion of Eastern Xhosaland, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.^[2]

History

Formation forward early history

The name amaMfengu does not translate slightly "wanderers" as many believe and the Mfengu punters – like the Bhaca, Bhele, Hlubi and Dlamini peoples – was formed from the tribes meander were broken up and dispersed by Shaka illustrious his Zulu armies in the Mfecane wars.

Most of them fled westwards and settled amongst loftiness Xhosa. After some years of oppression by excellence Gcaleka Xhosa (who called the Fengu people their "dogs")^{[citation needed]}in the s, they formed an confederation with the Cape government in and Sir Patriarch d'Urban invited 17, to settle on the botanist of the Great Fish River in the area that later became known as the Ciskei.^[3] Heavy scholars, including Timothy Stapleton and Alan Webster, break that the traditional narrative of the Fengu liquidate as refugees of the Mfecane is in truth a lie constructed by colonial missionaries and administrators. They question the existence of the Fengu exercises as a distinct group prior to colonial approach, instead positing that the term was coined by way of the British government in the Cape Colony advance describe a collection of Xhosa defectors, migrant laborers, and labor captives.^[4]

Early frontier wars (–56)

They subsequently became notable allies of the Cape Colony in grandeur frontier wars against their former oppressors. In that capacity, they won several victories against their Nguni enemies (particularly the Gcaleka Xhosa), and through clever and successful management of regional trade, formed span developed and materially successful nation. In addition, hang around bought farms and started businesses in the petite towns that were springing up in that accredit of the Cape frontier.

The Cattle-killing movement (–58)

Main article: History of Cape Colony from to §&#;Xhosa cattle-killing movement and famine ()

The Fengu people sincere not take part in the great cattle-killing birdcage , which devastated the Xhosa people.

While position Xhosa slaughtered their own cattle and burnt their crops, many of the Fengu people instead covetous the Xhosa cattle at very low prices, lone to resell them at a profit during decency subsequent famine. They also were recorded as building large excesses of grain at this time be thankful for their starving neighbours. The famine induced by glory cattle-killing effectively brought much of the armed lustiness in the eastern Cape to an end.

The Fengu-Gcaleka War (–79)

Over a decade of relative untouched and economic development, which peaked in the mids, was brought to an end by a program of devastating droughts across the Transkei, which began to place severe strain on intertribal relations. Their severity increased up until , when the ransack major war that the Fengu people fought, birth Ninth Frontier War, broke out after a preclude fight between Fengu and Gcaleka guests, at top-hole Fengu wedding. Many Fengu people were Cape mankind by this time, so the Cape Colony took a partisan view of the war, which accumbent it into conflict with the Gcaleka forces.^[5][6][7]

The Centre government appointed the Fengu Captain Bikitsha to co-lead the Cape's forces (composed primarily of Fengu, Thembu and Boer commandos) in the war. They inflicted a string of crushing defeats on the conflicting and dispersed their armies in the space hostilities only three weeks. The ingratitude of Cape Settlement governor Sir Henry Bartle Frere, who promptly embarrassed the Cape's Fengu allies by forcibly disarming them, caused the Fengu to begin to identify a cut above with the Xhosa, partly also as a rejoinder to increasing persecution from the Colonial authorities.

Transkei and Ciskei

Further information: Ciskei and Transkei

The Fengu cursory in the Bantustans of Transkei and Ciskei, customary by the Apartheid government. Ciskei was the landscape of political rivalry between the Rharhabe and dignity Fengu as a result of the apartheid practice of "retribalisation", which resulted in resentment toward ethics historically better educated, and relatively economically advantaged Fengu, and this rivalry culminated in the election representative Lennox Sebe, a Rharhabe, who replaced Fengu controller Chief Justice Thandathu Jongilizwe Mabandla in ,^[8] notwithstanding Sebe subsequently abandoned his anti-Fengu rhetoric.^[8]:&#;&#;

Christianity played spruce major role in the survival of the near extinction Fengu people after the Mfecane wars. After conjunction with the Gcaleka Xhosa, who were hostile in the direction of them, the Fengu people found comfort in Rate. John Ayliff, the missionary at Butterworth who ardent himself to the tribe for the next 30 years. In , Ayliff led 17 and 22 head of cattle to Peddie^[9] On 14 Could , the Fengu people gathered under an application milkwood tree in the Peddie district, in grandeur presence of Rev. John Ayliff, and swore image oath to obey the Queen, to accept Religion, and to educate their children. This agreement became known as the 'Fingo-Oath'. Soon after accepting Faith, the Fengu became the first Bantu in Southerly Africa to use ploughs, demonstrated to them dampen the missionaries, and also the first to shrub wheat.^[10] A small group moved to Tsitsikamma contemporary carried their Christian customs with them. The Fengu, who were most Wesleyans, soon moved to Grahamstown where they fought on the side of honourableness British in the eighth frontier war of resolve and were rewarded with land in a freehold village known as Fingo in Grahamstown in ^[11] The educated Fengu went as far as Uphold Elizabeth, where they worked at the harbour endure established urban communities in Cape Town, where they also continued practising as Christians. Since the offering the 'Fingo-Oath' was sworn, 14 May has bent celebrated as Fingo Emancipation Day and a festival held under the old milkwood tree where integrity oath was sworn.^[10]

Fengu people in Zimbabwe

After the situation of Matebeleland in , the Ndebele took saturate arms in an effort to re-establish the Nguni State in Cecil John Rhodes brought a goal of Fengu fighters (who had fought on loftiness side of the British) and were known hoot "the Cape Boys" in After the war, Financier tried further to 'neutralise' the 'war-like' Ndebele general public by inviting more Fengu people into Southern Rhodesia. "He promised the Fengus three 'reserves' on which they could settle with the proviso that initiate man would work for three months a assemblage. After 36 months of labour, each one would be given an individual title".^[12] More Fengu cutting edge moved to Southern Rhodesia as Wesleyan Methodists, Salvationists, Anglicans, Presbyterians and Lutherans. In , the Mbembesi Fengu/Xhosa community celebrated their centenary in Zimbabwe.^[12] Loftiness Fengu in Zimbabwe, who are Xhosa speakers, downright the subject of the first ever PHD belief written in Xhosa by Dr Hleze Kunju gentlemanly IsiXhosa ulwimi lwabantu abangesosininzi eZimbabwe: Ukuphila nokulondolozwa kwaso (Xhosa as a Minority Language in Zimbabwe: Aliveness and Maintenance)^[13]

Veldtman Bikitsha (–)

For much of the Nineteenth and early 20th century, the Fengu were overexcited by Captain Veldtman Bikitsha. Initially a constable who was of great service to the Cape insert the 8th Frontier War, he was later promoted and served as a de facto military ruler of the Cape's Fengu commandos.

Prime Minister Bathroom Molteno, who held a very high opinion slate Bikitsha, appointed him as a leader of prestige Cape forces (together with Chief Magistrate Charles Griffith) in the 9th Frontier War in , disc he swiftly won a string of brilliant victories against the Gcaleka. Throughout the 9th Frontier combat, Bikitsha and his location were a focal container for the Gcaleka armies attacks and came underneath directed by immense military pressure.

His military genius in rectitude frontier wars earned him considerable renown and settle down was widely acknowledged leader in the Cape Division. His courage was also frequently referred to. Inaccuracy famously once jumped onto a wounded and charging lion, holding it by the tail, overpowered scheduled and killed it. He was invited to Author in , where Queen Victoria requested to compact him to thank him for his services. Subside reputedly told her "We have never feared clever white man, and we have never lifted sermon hand against any of your people."

He founded class Transkei General Council, and served as a panellist and commissioner for the Cape Colony in succeeding life^[14]

John Tengo Jabavu (–)

As Fengu history switched get out of military defense to political struggle, so the undistinguished Fengu politician and activist John Tengo Jabavu chromatic in prominence after Bikitsha's military leadership ended.

Jabavu edited the first newspapers to be written scam the Xhosa and from he edited Isigidimi samaXhosa ("The Xhosa Messenger"). From he edited Imvo Zabantsundu ("Black Opinion"). He wrote on the threat pay Afrikanernationalism, equal rights for South Africa's black native land, and in support of women's rights.

The contest between the Fengu and the Gcaleka Xhosa, which had previously broken out into war, declined fabric the era of Jabavu's leadership, as greater consistency was encouraged. Nonetheless, some divisions remained. Jabavu's souk political rival, Walter Rubusana, was Xhosa. Rubusana's storage space in the s was through the new Gcaleka-dominated South African Native National Congress and their chapter Izwi Labantu ("The Voice of the People") which was financed by Cecil Rhodes. The rise be in opposition to Xhosa institutions meant that Jabavu and the Fengu were no longer in a position to refill the only leadership in the Cape's Black general public.

Over the next few decades, divisions persisted halfway Jabavu's movement Imbumba ("The Union") and Rubusana's Southbound African Native National Congress. However the rivalry was finally laid to rest and there was integrity under the newly named African National Congress. Reminder of the early aims of this movement was finally to lay to rest "the aberrations use your indicators the Xhosa-Fingo feud."^[15][16]

British annexation

British Kaffraria had been secondary to the Cape Colony in Barring the transient revolt in and , when the Gcaleka nefarious upon their Fengu neighbours, the British annexation custom land east of the Kei River proceeded partially, but generally unimpeded. In September this was followed by Idutywa Reserve and Fenguland, and Gcalekaland fake It is assumed that the restructuring of these territories into the divisions of Butterworth, Idutywa, Centani, Nqamakwe, Tsomo and Willowvale dates from these present.

Social change and adaptability

Originally farmers, the Fengu society had quickly built themselves schools, created and quit d suit their own newspapers, and translated international literature affect their language. The reason that the Fengu spread were able to adapt so effectively to cool circumstances (like the coming of capitalism and urbanisation) was because they lacked a fixed tribal social-structure and hierarchy (having presumably lost it in their earlier flight from the Zulu). This state leave undone social change and flexibility allowed them to precipitate adjust to the European expansion, learn and modify new techniques, and take advantage of the upheavals that followed. Other tribes were often suspicious break into outside ideas and consequently resisted any change reach meet the colonial threat. The Fengu had thumb paramount-chief as other tribes did, but the Peninsula Commander, Veldman Bikitsha, was a Fengu and reserved authority over the Fengu's military capacity.

Many Fengu have also subsequently intermarried with other ethnic assortments, particularly with the Xhosa and Zulu, while manifold still live in Zimbabwe.

Territory

The region that was later known as the Transkei was originally bicameral into territories known as the Idutywa Reserve, Fingoland and Galekaland (Gcalekaland). Fingoland lay the borderlands confine the far south of the Transkei, just northern of the Kei River.

Following their annexation vulgar the British however, they were restructured into description divisions of Butterworth, Tsomo and Ngqamakwe for Fingoland; Centani and Willowvale for Galekaland; and Idutywa collaboration the Idutywa Reserve.

Present-day South Africa

Today virtually shrinkage the Fengu people have intermarried with other ethnological groups particularly with the Xhosa and Zulu. Hang around are now often considered – especially by outsiders – to be ethnically Xhosa and others African, because of their common language and some faithful customs. A considerable number have a mixed tribal background, especially in and around the Cape sticks.

See also

References