The Bhaca people or amaBhaca are an
eMbo
Embo ( gd, Eurabol, IPA: �iaɾəpɔɫ̪ is a village in the Highland Council Area in Scotland and the former postal county of Sutherland, about north-northeast of Dornoch.
On 16 July 1988, Embo declared itself independent from the rest of the ...
ethnic group in South Africa.
Background
AmaBhaca were formerly known as the Zelemus or AbakwaZelemu between the 1700s until 1830 when they were formally referred to as AmaBhaca. They are the descendants of chief Zelemu who lived in the Pongola and ruled his people who were part of the abaMbo people. Chief Zelemu shared the same ancestor with Chief Wushe by the name of Lufulwenja. Zelemu and Wushe went separate ways in the early 1700s and their descendants were both called the AmaWushe and AbakwaZelemu. It was in the 1730 when their grandsons ( Khalimeshe and Mjoli) reunited again to form one tribe that later migrated south under the leadership of Madzikane ka Khalimeshe.
Ncapayi
King
Ncapayi had many wives. First wife Makhohlisa (daughter of Dzanibe clan) gave birth to King Diko and Sogoni. His second wife, Indlu yekunene, bore him Makaula, while his third wife Iqadi lendlu enkulu, produced Dabula and Mpongoma.
Ncapayi is said to have been a fearless
freebooter, and a
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
of note who showed more intelligence than his father Madzikane.
According to Rev. Soga, during the year that Madzikane was killed, Ncapayi entered
Thembuland to avenge the death. The
Thembus under King
Ngubengcuka made an ineffectual stand and the Bhacas swept away a large number of cattle.
Before Madzikane died and because of his relationship with
King Faku, he advised his son to temporarily be a tributary King in
Pondoland. Ncapayi took the advice and Faku welcomed the Bhacas, which coincided with the arrival of Nqetho, a Chief of the Qwabes who had moved from Natal to escape
King Shaka's army because he would not serve under
King Dingane. When he entered Pondoland and tried to secure land by violence, Faku was anxious to evict him with Ncapayi's assistance. AmaBhaca drove them back into Natal and Dingane issued an instruction to kill Nqetho.
The Thembus' defeat by the Bhacas, Faku to make an arrangement wi