king Mandzikane's History

King Madzikane II with Prince Mdutyane & Prince Phila Mdutyane (AmaBhaca)

Madzikane's father was Khalimesh, his firstborn was Crown Prince Sonyangwe followed by Prince Ncapai. However, because of the Mfecane wars, Sonyangwe the crown prince was burnt to death at night in his hut by traitors from the Memela who were vassals of the AmaBhele of uMdingi who were subjects of King Madzikane while he still reigned. Prince Sonyangwe died at Rode before he could become King of amaBhaca.

Therefore, on the death of King Madzikane, Prince Ncaphayi was crowned King of all amaBhaca but because his elder brother Sonyangwe had left behind two sons in Natal, (i.e. Princes Mdutyane and Thiba), King Ncaphayi was obliged to share the throne with Sonyangwes' heir. When Prince Mdutyane was only twenty-one, King Ncaphayi died in a war against the AmaMpondo King Faku. Crown Prince Mdutyane was crowned King of all the amaBhaca tribes and hence became the supreme ruler of the whole amaBhaca nation consisting of more than forty-four different tribes scattered all over southern Natal. King Ncapayi had many wives. Indlu Enkulu birth to Diko and Sogoni, from his second wife, Indlu Ykaula,. His third wife Iqadi Lendlu Enkulu bore Dabula. King Madzikane's kingdom is currently being revived by the Reat House of Ncapayi, Inkosi Madzikane II Thandisizwe Diko, the home of the Bhacas and the Kingdom is in Mount Frere, KwaBhaca in the Eastern Cape.

According to Reverend Soga, during the same year in which Ncapayi’s father Madzikane was killed, Ncaphayi entered Tembuland to avenge his father’s death, the Thembus under King Ngubengcuka made an ineffectual stand and the Bhacas swept away a large number of cattle.

Before King Madzikane died, and because of the relationship he had with King Faku, he advised his son to temporarily be a tributary king in Pondoland, he indeed did that and Faku at this time welcomed the Bhacas as this also coincided with the arrival of Nqetho, a chief of the Qwabes who had moved from Natal running away from King Tshaka’s army because he could not serve under King Dingane. When he entered Pondoland and tried to secure land by violence, Faku was anxious to get rid of him and therefore secured assistance from Ncaphayi to eject Nqetho. amaBhaca drove them back into Natal and Dingane issued instructions to kill Nqetho.

Soon after Sonyangwe's death King Madzikane died, but before he died he split the Kingdom of the Bhacas between his deceased crown prince and his son Prince Ncaphayi.

The Thembus defeat by the Bhacas, also led to Faku making an arrangement with Ncapayi when Pondos wanted to attack the Thembus, they entered Thembuland on three successive occasions and each time their raid was a success.

Soga asserts that cupidity is said to have been the force that brought Faku and Ncapayi to work together, it is also cupidity that is said to have destroyed their good working relationship. Because they were both strong, it became difficult to know which one was more powerful than the other. Ncapayi attacked Nyanda, the right hand section of the Phondos under Ndamase, the son of Faku, he raided Nyanda successfully. Meanwhile, the alarm had been raised with Faku and he Faku assembled a powerful army and this came up with the Bhacas and attacked them on all sides. Faku drove the Bhacas before him onto the kuNowalala Ridge. Ncaphayi was wounded and forced over the edge, falling onto a ledge some distance from the bottom, he was in helpless condition with both arms broken, besides a severe assegai (spear) wound. He lay there for days, persuading those who came to look at him to put an end to his misery and kill him. No one could do this until Faku gave orders that he must be killed. Madzikane’s son, King Ncapayi died in 1845.