13/12/2025
Biography of uMntwana Khiphinkunzi Valengane kaSilwanetshe kaNkomazane Gumbi
1938 – 8 December 2025
uMntwana Khiphinkunzi Valengane kaSilwanetshe kaNkomazane Gumbi was born on 1 January 1938 into the royal house of Emvokweni, one of the oldest branches of the Jele–Gumbi lineage. He was a grandson of Inkosi Nkomazane kaNtini Gumbi, and a direct descendant of Somkhanda kaZiguda Jele, whose brother Zwangendaba kaZiguda Jele later founded the Ngoni kingdoms of Central and East Africa. Through this lineage, Khiphinkunzi stood firmly within a royal tradition that shaped kings and nations across the region.
He was the son of Prince Silwanetshe kaNkomazane, the second-born son of Inkosi Nkomazane and Queen MaKhumalo, the iNdlunkulu. Prince Silwanetshe kaNkomazane was the second-born son of Inkosi Nkomazane and Queen MaKhumalo. His younger brother was Prince Ngungunyane, the last-born of the house
making Khiphinkunzi part of the central generation that carried the memory, discipline, and values of the restored Gumbi chieftaincy.
His mother was MaNzima from the Nzima family. Oral history records that “izelamani uSivumo Cijimpi noSilwanetshe kaNkomazane, amadodana eNkosi uNkomazane kaNtini, zaganwa yizelamani zakwaNzima.”
Prince Khiphinkunzi’s mother, MaNzima, was the younger sister of Queen MaNzima who married Inkosi Sivumo as his seventh wife.
Thus:
Sivumo married the elder Nzima sister
Silwanetshe married the younger Nzima sister
From a young age, Khiphinkunzi was raised within the discipline of royal life. Family elders recount that his mother once instructed him: “Hamba uyokhulela EMvokweni ukuze ufunde ukuhlakanipha.” This guidance shaped his upbringing. At Emvokweni, he grew under the care of his father, his uncles, and the children of Inkosi Sivumo. Oral accounts consistently describe him as a trusted figure among his peers, a man who clarified difficult matters, calmed disputes, and was often sought out for guidance. It is said that his brothers and cousins preferred him in moments of uncertainty because they trusted his judgement and his character.
As an adult, uMntwana Khiphinkunzi became widely respected as a custodian of history and a living archive of Gumbi memory. He carried detailed knowledge of lineage, land boundaries, royal succession, and the historical struggles of the Gumbi people. During the period of forced removals and later land claims, he played an important advisory role, helping to preserve historical truth and supporting the Gumbi claim to their ancestral lands through memory, testimony, and royal record.
In his personal life, uMntwana Khiphinkunzi married four wives. His principal wife was MaNhleko, who stood as the senior figure in his household. His marriages reflected stability, respect for tradition, and continuity within the values of the royal house.
uMntwana Khiphinkunzi passed away on 8 December 2025. His passing marked the end of a generation that bridged the world of oral royal authority and the modern era. He is remembered not as a ruler, but as a pillar of memory, a guide, and a loyal son of the Jele–Gumbi house.
His legacy lives on in the stories he preserved, the wisdom he shared, and the dignity with which he carried the name of Gumbi, Jele, Somkhanda, and Zwangendaba.
Hamba kahle wena KaSilwanetshe kaNkomazane,
Undaba zemkhonto zabaleka.
Ayindle amavolovolo, khanda lenja!
Ugagayi nemeli wakhe,
uNsini zegilo libomvu kwelikaNkomazane.
Ungxabuzile umasenga akhohlwe ig*l*.
Wadla umeli wakhe ezalwa kwaMtshelongwane,
washaya phansi kwanga thethwa cala.
Wadla umeli wakhe ezalwa kwaMhlungwana,
kwanga thethwa cala.
Hamba kahle wena kaNkomazane!
uNkomazane akangakanani — ubuhle bukaNkomazane!
Budide amadoda, bethi buseNkabeni;
bakha izindlu, bakha izindlwana!
INzamanzamane — ezanywe uLutholunye,
ezalwa kwaGumbi, wayizama wayifuqela.
INzamanzamane — kade beyizama!
Izanywe nguMthontela, ezalwa kwaGumbi,
wayizama wayifuqela.
INzamanzamane — kade beyizama!
Izanywe nguMaQomane, ezalwa kwaGumbi,
wayizama wayifuqela.
Ubuhle bukaNkomazane budide aMankenyana;
buthe busenkabeni — badida amadoda,
bakha izindlu, bakha izindlwana!
Hamba kahle wena kaNtini,
emnyama, obhejumlomo obomvu,
ophuza igazi lamadoda.
Hamba kahle wena kaSomkhanda,
owakhanda amadoda.
