Tshabalala
Named after the clan name of Lobengula's mother, Fulatha, who was of Swazi descent.
Tshabalala is a clan name, the isibongo of Fulatha, the mother of King Lobengula. She was of Swazi descent. Another suburb, Malindela, is named after her mother.
Nearby
The Tshabalala Game Sanctuary, a few kilometres from the city, also carries the name. The sanctuary stands on land once farmed by Fairbairn Usher, an English sailor who settled in Bulawayo in the late nineteenth century and married one of Lobengula’s daughters.
The Herald calls Tshabalala the totem of Lobengula’s mother rather than her praise name. The two terms are often used loosely, and both refer to her clan.
What we don’t know yet
What do you know of Fulatha? And your Tshabalala: tell us about growing up there.
Sources
- Bulawayo’s suburb names, N to Z
- ‘Suburbs, street names origin explained’, The Herald (Zimbabwe)
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