The Venḓa (VhaVenḓa or Vhangona) are a Southern African Bantu people living mostly near the South African-Zimbabwean border. The Venda language arose from interactions with Sotho-Tswana and Kalanga initiates during the 15th century in Zimbabwe.
The history of the Venda starts from the Kingdom of Mapungubwe (9th Century) where King Shiriyadenga was the first king of Venda and Mapungubwe. The Mapungubwe Kingdom stretched from the Soutpansberg in the south, across the Limpopo River to the Matopos in the north. The Kingdom declined from 1240, and power moved north to the Great Zimbabwe Kingdom. The first Venda settlement in the Soutpansberg was that of the legendary chief Thoho-ya-Ndou (Head of the Elephant). His royal kraal was called D’zata; its remains have been declared a National Monument. The Mapungubwe Collection is a museum collection of artefacts found at the archaeological site and is housed in the Mapungubwe Museum in Pretoria. Venda people share ancestry with Lobedu people and Kalanga people. They are also related to Sotho-Tswana peoples Sotho-Tswana and Shona groups. All these tribes were under the Venda kingdom.
History
The Venda of today are Vhangona, Takalani (Ungani), Masingo and others. Vhangona are the original inhabitants of Venda, they are also referred as Vhongwani wapo; while Masingo and others are originally from central Africa and the East African Rift, migrating across the Limpopo river during the Bantu expansion, Venda people originated from central and east Africa, just like the other South African tribes.
Clans
The Venda of today are descendants of many heterogeneous groupings and clans such as:
Dzindou dza Hakhomunala Mutangwe / Dzatshamanyatsha
Dzindou dza Vharundwa / Dza Mitshetoni /Dza Manenzhe
Vhafamadi; Vhadau vhatshiheni Vhadau Madamani Rambuda; Vha Ha-Ramavhulela (Vhubvo Dzimauli) Vhakwevho; Vha Ha-Maďavha (Great Warthogs of Luondewho immigrated from Zimbabwe) Vhambedzi; Vhania; Vhagoni; Vhalea; Gebebe; Ndou;
Maďou; Vhasekwa; Vhaluvhu; Vhatavhatsindi; Vhalovhedzi VhaMese Vha Ha-Nemutudi Vhatwanamba; Vhanzhelele/Vhalembethu; VhaDzanani Vhanyai; Vhalaudzi; Masingo; and Rambau Runganani (marungadzi nndevhelaho) Takalani(Ungani)
Vhadau, Vhakwevho, Vhafamadi, Vhania, Vhalea, and Vhaluvhu were collectively known as Vhangona. The Vhangona and Vhambedzi are considered to be the original inhabitants of Venda and the first people to live there.
The land of Vhangona was later settled by Karanga-Rodzvi clans from Zimbabwe: Vhatwanamba, Vhanyai, Vhatavhatsindi, and Vhalembethu. Masingo and Vhalaudzi are late arrivals in Venda.
Districts
According to one version of Vhangona oral history the capital of Vhangona was Mapungubwe with the Raphulu Royal House as the most senior royal house of the Vhangona. According to this version the Vhangona Kingdom had approximately 145 chiefdoms and a King (Thovhele). It is said that the Kingdom was divided into seven districts:
Dzanani
Mbilwi
Tswime
Tshiendeulu
Tshakhuma
Tshamanyatsha
Lwamondo
These districts were ruled by District Paramount Chiefs (Mahosi Mahulu), as follows:
Mudzanani/Nesongozwi (Dzanani) Nembilwi (Mbilwi) Netswime (Tswime) Netshiendeulu (Tshiendeulu)
Netshakhuma (Tshakhuma) Netshamanyatsha (Tshamanyantsha) Makhahani (Thulamela) Nelwamondo (Lwamondo)
Each district had Chiefs (Khosi) who paid tribute to Mahosi Mahulu (Paramount Chiefs), then there were Headmen (VhaMusanda) and then Petty Headmen (Vhakoma). This tradition states that one of the Vhangona kings was King Shiriyadenga whose royal kraal was at Mapungubwe. It is not clear if this Shiriyadenga is the same as Shiriyedenga of the Sanga dynasty, a Karanga-Rozvi branch. The Sanga dynasty, in Zimbabwe's eastern highlands, was founded by Chiphaphami Shiriyedenga who died in 1672. Perhaps at one point the Karanga-Rodzvi Empire extended beyond the Vhembe (Limpopo) River, and the Vhangona, though not Karanga-speaking, were at one point under Karanga-Rodzvi rule.
The other version of Vhangona history disputes that the Vhangona were ever united under one chief or king. It says that the Vhangona had different independent chiefdoms and that the Vhangona chief of Nzhelele valley was Tshidziwelele of the Mudau clan. What is clear, however, is that the Vhatwanamba, who were of Karanga-Rodzvi origin, conquered Vhangona clans who lived in Mapungubwe, Musina, Ha-Tshivhula, Ha-Lishivha, Ha-Matshete, Ha-Mulambwane, and Ha-Madzhie (the areas of Ha-Tshivhula, Ha-Lishivha, Ha-Matshete, and Ha-Mulambwane are known today as Alldays and Waterpoort).