Ngcobo (formerly Engcobo) is a town in the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

province of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

. Ngcobo is the main town of the Engcobo Local Municipality, which falls within the

Chris Hani District Municipality Chris Hani is a landlocked district situated in the centre of the Eastern Cape and is made up of eight local municipalities. Most of the communities live in rural areas. The landscape ranges from moist uplands and grassland hills to the arid Kar ...

of the Eastern Cape. It is situated in the western part of the former

bantustan A Bantustan (also known as Bantu homeland, black homeland, black state or simply homeland; ) was a territory that the National Party administration of South Africa set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (n ...

Transkei Transkei (, meaning ''the area beyond he riverKei''), officially the Republic of Transkei ( xh, iRiphabliki yeTranskei), was an unrecognised state in the southeastern region of South Africa from 1976 to 1994. It was, along with Ciskei, a Ba ...

. Ngcobo is along R61 surrounded by the towns of Cofimvaba, Dutywa, Mthatha, Elliot and Cala. The villages in Ngcobo include Gqaga, Nkwenkwana, Bhokileni, Tshaphile, Mnyolo, Mhlophekazi, Yawa, Sandile, Nkondlo, Clarkebury, Gqobonco, Manzana, Mkhanzi, Qitsi, Mqonci, All Saints, Mjanyana, Deberha, Mbhekeni, Quthubeni, Cefane, Ntibaneni, Nxamagela, Ngxogi, Zabasa, Sinqumeni, Gqaqhala, Sundwane, Gubenxe, Luhewini, Kalinyanga, Sixholosini, Thorha, Goboti and Ntibaneni. Mbashe River separates Ngcobo from Mthatha.

History

On 1 November 1859, a day known in the

Christian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

All Saints' Day All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are k ...

, Chief Fubu of the amaQwathi met with Archdeacon Waters and the Rev John Gordon of the

Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societi ...

(SPG). As a result, they were granted a stretch of land in the Xuka valley, and soon thereafter the All Saints mission station was founded on the site under the leadership of the Rev Gordon. Today All Saints Parish is a cathedral. In 1876 Walter Stanford arrived at the station to take up his appointment as Resident Magistrate to the amaQwathi. He established the seat of his magistracy some 8 km from the station on a site known locally as Engcobo, a Xhosa term meaning "a green place next to a stream". In 1879 the amaQwathi rose in rebellion and, during the ensuing hostilities, both the mission and the magistracy were burnt to the ground, forcing their residents to flee. Following the surrender of the amaQwathi, the magistracy was re-established at Engcobo in 1881. The town was previously located in Mjanyana, well known as aleper institution. Traditionally known as emaQwathini (the land of the Qwathi people), the town of Ngcobo has evolved to accommodate many nationalities. Recently, this town is a home to many Chinese, Pakistani, North African traders and more. The first non Xhosa professionals to settle in this area were Indian doctors working at All Saints Hospital and Ghanaian teachers who flooded the whole of the Transkei in the 1980s. For a long time the town has been regarded as one of the most naturally beautiful towns in the province.For many years Ngcobo was the biggest town in the region serving many smaller towns like Cofimvaba, Tsomo, and Cala and this gave rise to a popular Xhosa saying "INgcobo yidolophu" meaning "Don't take it for granted, Ngcobo is a big town". Ngcobo has two government hospitals: All Saints General Hospital and Mjanyana TB Hospital Eastern Cape Dept of Health official website
/ref> Ngcobo is the birthplace of former ANC presiden
Alfred Bathini Xuma
ANC stalwar
Walter Sisulu
UDF stalwar
Canon Mcebisi XunduMondli Gungubele
Ekurhuleni Mayor, former wife of Nelson Mandela Evelyn Mase and many who played a significant role in the history of South Africa. Xhosa brickmaker at kiln near Ngcobo

Notable people from Ngcobo

*Litha Ncokazi *Hector Bongani Ncokazi * Sinazo Zaza Ntsenge * Msimelelo Sondlo * Sanele Tshongweni * Amanda Kom *

Walter Sisulu Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu (18 May 1912 – 5 May 2003) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC). Between terms as ANC Secretary-General (1949–1954) and ANC Deputy President (1991–1994), h ...

, anti-

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

activist and Secretary General of the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...

(ANC) * Evelyn Mase, nurse and first wife of the anti-apartheid activist and the future president

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...

* Maka Zinyuse * Mbombini Molteno Sihele, Xhosa Councillor and national poet (''"imbongi"''). * Nceba Hlangadala * Clarkebury on the banks of

Mbhashe River Mbhashe River is one of the major rivers in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It flows in a southeastern direction and has a catchment area of 6,030 km. The river drains into the Indian Ocean through an estuary located near the light ...

was home to

at high school level. * Zalisile Matiwane * Chief Zwelihle Mtikrakra * Dr Xuma * Xhelo Gubanca of Amavundle Clan (Scotland law graduate and councillor to King Ngangelizwe) * Lundi Dyasophi * Sibonisiwe Ndzukuma * Prince Soletu Mnqanqeni, Aah Ngweyesizwe!! (Social Science Graduate, University of Cape Town & Entrepreneur) Engcobo, Embhashe Royal Village (Abathembu Clan). * Pelo Siphesihle Gcanga * Zonwabele Blackie Zola Tshayana (Motivational Speaker, Consultant - Health and Education, Poet, Social Activist, Entrepreneur) * Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane (Eastern Cape ANC Provincial Chairperson and 7th Premier) * Velile Mbethe * Lwazi Mfundo Lobi * Kanyiso Kupe *Chief Zwelakhe Dalasile Of The Amaqwathi Clan *Dr Ntombodidi Tshotsho *Dr Thembeka Tshotsho-Tshefu *Dr Baba Tshotsho

Location

References

{{Chris Hani District Municipality Populated places in the Engcobo Local Municipality Populated places established in 1881