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| Ngoni Dancers. Source: Facebook |
The Ngoni people primarily live in the Ruvuma region of the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. They have a significant presence in multiple countries across southern Africa. They originally hailed from the southeastern region of present-day Zambia and embarked on a series of migrations and conquests during the 19th century.
Here’s a brief summary of the Ngoni people.
Family Structure
The Ngoni of Tanzania are descendants of a group led by Chief Zwangendaba. They were in small independent states with central administration based on patrilineal succession. Settlements were characterized by large compact villages built close to one another. Each village would have up to 3000 inhabitants.
Families were nuclear, headed by a man. A household had huts belonging to the husband, his wives, and children.
Clans
The Ngoni trace their origins to the Zulu people in South Africa. The most recognized clans among the Ngoni were the Amalala/Abenguni and Nxumalo clan.
Totems
The different clans of the Ngoni are divided into exogamous and totemic clans. The clan's name was always that of an animal but sometimes that of a plant or other things. The following are some of the totems.
Nsamba - fish.
Nguluwe - bush-pig.
Ngondo - hartebeest.
Pofu - eland.
Nyati - buffalo.
Nyuchi - bee.
Soko - baboon.
Mabvu - wasp.
Nkoma - coney.
Duwe - zebra.
Among the names of clans derived from plants or inanimate things are the following:
Manda - mushroom.
Churu - ant-hill.
Manzi- water.
Gumbo - watermelon.
Mvula - rain.
Dialects
The Ngoni originally came from South Africa. They speak Ci-Ngoni, a Bantu language akin to Zulu. However, they also speak other dialects like Ci-Nsenga, Tumbuka, and Ci-Nyanja in their speech.
Age Sets
Boys were encouraged to imitate older men and learn through their stories of war. At about seventeen, they are circumcised and forced to go through the rites that teach absolute obedience and self-reliance. After circumcision, he is fit to join other men at war. Traditionally, the Ngoni had eight generations as follows:-
Mehloenkorno
Nyati
Cenge
Nquboyempisi
Lovunu
Lonyanda
Zwangendaba
Hlachwayo
Magangata
The Ngoni circumcised only their boys. They were separated from their mothers at seven years old to be conditioned as men.
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Naming System
The Ngoni have certain ways of naming children born in the community. For one, they gave traditional names at birth, a christening name that was later given or taken when they grew up.
Additionally, there are clan names. They believed a child would ‘cry out’ their names and only stop when the right name was given.
Other names describe the baby’s physical form i.e., big/fat or small/thin during birth. Moreover, they also name them after a person, often deceased, if the parents admired the person. They also name children describing the mother's pregnancy journey, that is, if it was difficult or fortunate.
These names describe appearance, preferences, skills, deeds, achievements, behavior, or something that occurred.
Kinship
Kinship among the Ngoni was recognized through clan exogamy, and warm greetings, and both individuals were acquainted with render each other mutual service.
Marriage/Courtship
Marriage among the Ngoni was an important rite of life. They had strict exogamy within the clan and prohibited marriages between members of the same kinship. Marriages were mostly arranged, but the groom was allowed to look for a girl to marry.
The marriage ceremony began when the man's family met, expressing interest in the girl who intended to be married.
Age was not a factor as long as they were both undergone puberty. Upon mutual agreement, the girl informs her parents and relatives of a pending visitor.
Marriage negotiations are carried out by a go-between who is always a man from the father’s side of the two families.
The bride price (lobola) payment was key, and it ensured intense ethnic cohesion.
The dowry having been paid, the ceremony is conducted, and the bride is taken to her new family.
This whole process began and ended in one to two weeks. Cattle were the primary source of dowry.
Polygamy
Men among the Ngoni were allowed to marry more than one wife.
Issues on child siring were the main reason followed by others, such as being bored, desiring peace of mind, as a form of punishment to the existing wife, in a case where the current wife was incapable and a way of prestige.
Gender Roles in Marriage
Men were the heads of families among the traditional Ngoni people. He made decisions concerning the family and offered security.
He was required to do the heavy work around the household and be a role model to his sons.
A woman, on the other hand, was required to perform homely duties and sire children.
Single mothers, Widows, and Widowers
The brother inherited widows among the traditional Ngoni to the deceased. Widowers always resorted to marrying another wife to take care of the household.
Single mothers were disregarded in the community. They were not respected since they had no man to defend and uphold their dignity.
Divorce
A woman among the Ngoni was not allowed to divorce her husband. However, the husband was permitted to divorce if he had a good reason.
The community valued marriage that divorce was never conceived to be possible. The woman was expected to stay in marriage until death separated them.
Inheritance
Inheritance among the Ngoni was patrilineal. The eldest son of the first wife was the successor of his father’s property.
Death
Death entailed different funeral rites. When a person died, people were told of the news. A grave is dug near the cattle kraal.
The body was then prepared and placed in a sitting position. The body was then buried together with his or her possession.
A day after the burial, the cattle kraal is extended over the grave so the cattle can trample on it. Mourners are then expected to shave their hair.
The widow puts on a mourning hat (zitambo) to signify grief. Animal sacrifices are also done to offer it to the spirit of the deceased, which was believed to return.
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