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AbaThembu
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This text presents a historical and ethnographic introduction to the origins, migrations, social organisation, and political leadership of the abaThembu and related Nguni-speaking peoples of southern Africa. Drawing on oral traditions, early European accounts, and later colonial-era writings, it traces the movement of the descendants of Ntu from north-eastern Africa through central and southern regions of the continent, culminating in the settlement and interaction of groups such as the abaThembu, amaXhosa, amaMpondo, amaMpondomise, amaBaca, amaXesibe, and others. Particular attention is given to the emergence of the name “Thembu” in early European records, descriptions of social customs, governance, and moral values, and the role of kings, chiefs, and councillors in maintaining order and tradition. The narrative further engages critically with historical testimonies by explorers, missionaries, colonial officials, and indigenous informants, including accounts associated with Dr. George McCall Theal, Simon van der Stel, Somtsewu (Sir Theophilus Shepstone), and others. By comparing these written sources with African oral histories, the work seeks to reconstruct genealogies of chiefly lineages and to clarify the relationships among major royal houses, particularly those descending from Zwide. While acknowledging unresolved debates concerning early ancestral links between Zwide, the Zulu, and Ntu, the text aims to lay a foundation for further scholarly inquiry into Nguni history, migration, and kingship, and to encourage deeper investigation into areas where historical evidence remains contested or incomplete.