Venda Clan Names

The Vhavenda of today are descendants of many heterogeneous groupings and clans such as:

• Vhadau
• Vhambedzi
• Vhanyai
• Vhatavhatsindi
• Vhalea
• Vhatwamamba
• Vhania
• Vhagoni
• Vhaluvhu
• Vhanzhelele/Vhalembethu
• Vhalovhedzi

Vhadau, Vhambedzi, Vhatavhatsindi, Vhalea, Vhania, Vhatwamamba, Vhagoni and Vhaluvhu were collectively known as Vhangona. Vhangona clans were the first clans to settle in present day Venda and parts of southern Zimbabwe. Vhangona are therefore regarded as the aboriginal Vendas. Archaeological evidence indicates that Vhangona were already in Venda and Southern Zimbabwe in 700 AD. As the first group to settle in Venda, Vhangona named all the places, mountains, rivers, hills, etc.

Vhadau inhabited the area from Mount Sunguzwi/Songozwi in the west to Mount Tshitumbe in the east. Their prominent chiefs were Raphulu, Tshidziwelele, Mudau and Dewasi.

Vhambedzi’s headquarters were in Marungudzi, Zimbabwe, while in Venda they were concentrated at Tshulu (Ha-Makuya), Mianzwi, Tshilavulu and Makonde. Their prominent Khosi was Luvhimbi who was famous for rain making powers.

Vhatavhatsindi settled at Lwandali and Thengwe. Vhakwevho, a sub-group of Vhatavhatsindi, settled at Luonde and Luvhola. The other sub-group of Vhatavhatsindi, Vhafamadi, settled at Ha-Mashau. Vhatavhatsindi’s prominent chiefs were Matidze, Nethengwe and Manenzhe.

Vhalea and Vhatwamamba settled at Musina, Mapungubwe, and Ha-Tshivhula.

• Karanga-Rozvi clans such as Vhanyai, Vhalembethu, Vhalovhedzi and Vhasenzi later settled in Venda. Vhanyai and Vhalembethu occupied the whole eastern Venda. The Vhanyai prominent chiefs were Makahane, Nelombe and Tshilowa.
• Vhasenzi consisted of Masingo, Vhalaudzi, and Vhandalamo. They were also joined by Vhalemba who are of Semitic origin.

The different clans were independent of one another until they were all conquered by Dambanyika (Dimbanyika) of the Vhasenzi to form one nation called Vhavenda. King Dimbanyika is, therefore, regarded as the father of Vhavenda and Vhavenda’s first king.

Vhasenzi and all the other clans that settled in Venda were, with time, absorbed culturally and linguistically by Vhangona, the clan they conquered. The conquerors’ descendants owe much of their present identity to the earlier inhabitants of Venda, Vhangona. It is believed that about 85% of present day Tshivenda words and vocabulary come from the original Tshingona. But the conquerors also transmitted a great number of Karanga traits.

It is not clear where the name Venda came from. One version states that when Vhasenzi settled in the land of Vhangona they fell in love with the landscape and the environment and called the place Venda, meaning pleasant place. Another version states that the Vhangona referred to all Karanga-Rodzvi clans that settled in their land as Vhavannda (outsiders). This was later corrupted to Vhavenda, and the area they occupied was named Venda. The third version states that Venda was the name of a Vhangona king and that his people were known as Vhavenda (Venda’s subjects).

According to Vhavenda oral tradition, Vhasenzi had a magic drum known as Ngomalungundu. This was a sacred drum of Mwali (Mwari), the Great God of Vhasenzi. Ngomalungundu was the spear and shield of Vhasenzi. Their king is believed to have worked miracles with this drum which had magic and killing powers. In fear of Ngomalungundu, other groupings surrendered to or fled from the Singo killing powers.

Through conquest the Vhangona came to revere and fear this greatest musical instrument. They regarded this drum as the Voice of their Great God, Raluvhimba.

The title for a Vhangona king was Thovhele while Vhasenzi’s title for king was Mambo. These titles were also used interchangeably, although the surviving one is Thovhele.

The Singo kept the other Changamire-Rozvi title, for a king, of Chikurawadyembeuwu, altering it to Vele-la-mbeu. They also converted Mwari’s praise name, Sororezhou, into a title, Thohoyandou.

Vhasenzi and all the other clans that conquered Venda were, with time, absorbed culturally and linguistically by Vhangona, the clan they conquered. The conquerors’ descendants owe much of their present identity to the earlier inhabitants of Venda, Vhangona. It is believed that about 85% of present day Tshivenda words and vocabulary come from the original Tshingona. But the conquerors also transmitted a great number of Karanga traits.

Today it is very difficult to find anybody willing to admit that they are the descendants of Vhangona. This is due to the fact that the conquerors despised Vhangona and they labelled them sorcerers. It was, therefore, an embarrassment to claim Ngona heritage, and almost everybody started identifying themselves as a Muvenda. But the majority of Vhavenda are Vhangona. Most people with Ngona heritage can be identified by their clan names and surnames which start with the prefix “Ne” (like Nevondo, Nenzhelele, Nedzanani, Nevhutalu, Nemadzivhanani, Neluvhola, Neluonde, Netshitenzhe, Nengwekhulu, etc). The prefix “Ne” simply means ruler/ owner of. For example, Neluvhola means the ruler/owner of Luvhola. The majority of Venda surnames start with “Ne”.

The Vhangona traditional leaders welcomed the conquerors and paid tribute to them. Different Vhangona traditional leaders continued to exercise authority over their areas of jurisdiction. They were, however, now paying tribute to a Singo King.

The Founding of The Venda Kingdom

Although there are different oral versions of Masingo/Vhasenzi history, written historical records indicate that Vhasenzi were Karangas who broke away from the Changamire Rodzvi (Vhalozwi). It appears that after the death of the Rodzvi king, Chiphaphami Shiriyedenga of the Sanga/Singo dynasty in 1672, a war of succession ensued between his sons. It is said that due to this war of succession Shiriyedenga’s eldest son refused to be installed as the king. Due to his refusal to take over as the king of Vhalozwi he was nicknamed Dambanyika, meaning he who refused to be the ruler of the land. His younger brother who accepted the throne was nicknamed Liwanyika. Thereafter a section led by Dambanyika (also known as Dimbanyika) left Vhukalanga (Zimbabwe) for Venda. They crossed the Vhembe river (Limpopo river) and settled on Mount Lwandali in Nzhelele.

Vhasenzi started the process of subjugating all the clans in Venda. This process of building one nation was completed during Dimbanyika’s reign. Dimbanyika managed to subjugate the Vhalembethu of Ha-Mutele and Thulamela, and Vhatavhatsindi of Fundudzi to establish a nation known as Vhavenda. Dimbanyika is, therefore, regarded as the first king of all Vhavenda. He ruled from 1688 to 1722.

King Dimbanyika’s royal palace was at Dzata I on Mount Lwandali, Nzhelele. Dzata I was abandoned after the death of Dimbanyika in 1722. Oral history has it that Dimbanyika was a hunter. One day he went out hunting but never came back. But his two dogs went back home. A search party, led by one of his dogs, was dispatched the following day to look for him. The dog led the search party to a cave. The opening of the cave was filled with huge rocks which were impossible to move. After trying unsuccessfully to move the rocks, they were addressed by Dimbanyika.

He told them to stop trying and that the cave would be his Tshiendeulu (royal grave). He instructed them to move the capital since nobody would be allowed to live on Mount Lwandali. He forbade people from eating fruits from Lwandali. He also gave instructions that the son of Rambwapenga and his descendants must remain on Mount Lwandali to tend his grave and to be guardians of Lwandali.

Lwandali became known as Tshiendeulu and the son of Rambwapenga and his descendants became known as Netshiendeulu, meaning the owner/ruler/custodian of Tshiendeulu. The Singo moved to the south west of Lwandali and built a new capital, Dzata II.

Dimbanyika was succeeded by Vele-la-Mbeu. Vele-la-Mbeu had four children, one girl called Tshavhungwe, and three sons, Phophi (Thohoyandou) Tshisevhe and Raluswielo (Tshivhase). Tshavhungwe was the child of mufumakadzi wa dzekiso (the woman who is chosen for the current chief/king by the royal household to bear the future chief), and would have taken over if she was not female. She could, however, not take over as the king due to the fact that only males could ascend the throne. The royal council took a decision that the son of the second senior house, Thohoyandou, should take over as the king of Vhavenda.

Thohoyandou was a great king who expanded the Vhavenda Kingdom. Data gathered by the Dutch at Delagoa Bay between 1723 and 1730 indicate that during Thohoyandou’s time the Vhavenda Kingdom stretched from Vhembe river (Limpopo) in the north to Crocodile river in the south. This kingdom included people who were not Venda speaking. The Karanga of Zimbabwe were subject to him and the Bapedi chiefs recognised him as their sovereign.

The Singo domination of Venda was entrenched during King Thohoyandou’s rule. During his reign, Thohoyandou deployed his son Munzhedzi Mpofu, to Luatame on Mount Songozwi, and his brothers Raluswielo and Tshisevhe to Dopeni and Makonde respectively.