The women of Loopspruit Cultural Village, near Bronkhorstspruit, in front of a traditionally-painted Ndebele dwelling. |
Total population |
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703,906 (2001 Census) |
Regions with significant populations |
Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces in South Africa |
Languages |
Religion |
Related ethnic groups |
The South Ndebele people are an African ethnic group located in South Africa and Zimbabwe. They are also called the Southern Transvaal Ndebele, and are centered around Bronkhorstspruit.
Contents |
History
The Ndebele are part of the larger Nguni ethnic group. They are thought to have travelled from Natal to the Transvaal region, led by a chief called Musi and settling near Pretoria in about 1600. In the mid-seventeenth century, the nation split over a succession dispute between his two sons, Manala and Ndzundza.
In 1882, following friction with Voortrekker settlers over land and other resources, the Boer leader Piet Joubert led a campaign against the Ndebele leader Nyabela. Nyabela was imprisoned, finally being released in the late 1890s, and many of his people were indentured to white farmers.
During the apartheid era, Nyabela's successor as leader, Cornelius, was forcibly moved with his people to a tribal "homeland" called KwaNdebele, which was given nominal self-government.
People with the last name Ndebele are considered royal.[citation needed]
Ndebele people are the smallest tribe in Southern Africa and their language is very different compared to the Zimbabwe Ndebele's so the difference has to be noted so as others do not confuse the two.
Art
In the 16th century, Portugese settlers introduced brightly colored glass beads that would later be used by the Ndebele people to create garments, jewelry, blankets and headware for both daily and ceremonial use. Traditionally, geometric beadwork is used to denote the sacred spaces within the home.[1]
References
- ^ Birmingham Museum of Art (2010). Birmingham Museum of Art : guide to the collection. [Birmingham, Ala]: Birmingham Museum of Art. pp. 76. ISBN 9781904832775. http://artsbma.org.
Further reading
- Ndebele: The art of an African tribe, 1986. Margaret Courtney-Clarke, London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-28387-7
External links
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