Before Bantu began to expand into southern Africa,
they originated at the border of Nigeria in 3000BCE. The Bantu people had
agriculture, metals for tools, and livestock. Early on in history, they began
to split into two major groups: the West and East Bantu. The reason for split
is unknown but it was most likey to find more places to inhabit. They began
migrating around the Iron Age. Both the Bushmen and the Hottentot were a branch
of the nomadic or migratory Bantu people. The Bantu are believed to have
migrated to Southern Africa from East and Central Africa as a result of wars,
famine and overpopulation. The Bantu, prior to the arrival of the Europeans,
spoke a closely related language, and estimates of their population, during the
fifteenth and sixteenth century, reached 50,000,000 people.8 The term Bantu is
a philological word coined during the nineteenth century by the European. It
comes from aba ntu meaning "people," and is the plural of the word
"man"-umu ntu. The language and customs of the Bantu speaking people
varied only slightly causing them to form close bonds through kinsmanship and
lineage ties. 9 Donald Morris describes the Bantu people as follows:
THE CHIEF AND THE RULE OF LAW
} The
chief was the recognized leader of all civil, military and religious matter
affecting.
} The
chief governed with the agreement of the senior members of the clan
} it
was usual for the chief to consult with a small council of advisors
} In
matter of great importance an assembly
of all religions chiefs was called.
} Justice
was carried out in courts presided over by the chiefs or sub-chiefs.
} In
this bantu speakers chiefdoms ship was largely
hereditary, although chief were often replaced when not effective.
} With
most bantu clan in south Africa the eldest son inherited the office of his
father
} Other
clans. The eldest brother of the deceased chief took over the office
} Generally
the chiefs had much power but were not above the law (Shongwe, 2001)
SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
} Until
very recently, Bantu speaking communities were often divided into different
clans, not around National federations, but independent groups from some
hundreds to thousands of individuals.
} The
smallest unit of the political organisational structure was the household, or
Kraal, consisting of a man, woman or women, and their children, as well as
other relatives living in the same household. The man was the head of the
household and often had many wives; and was the family's primary
representative. The household and close relations generally played an important
role. Households which lived in the same valley or on the same hill in a
village were also an organisational unit, managed by a sub-chief.
} Chiefdomship
was largely hereditary, although chiefs were often replaced when not effective.
With most clans the eldest son inherited the office of his father. With some
clans the office was left to the oldest brother of the deceased chief, and
after his death again the next oldest brother. This repeated until the last
brother died. Next was the eldest son of the original chieftain; then the
oldest one of the brothers as the leader. The chief was surrounded with a
number of trusted friends or advisors, usually relatives like uncles and
brothers, rather than influential Headmen or personal friends. The degree of
the democracy depended on the strength of the chieftain. The more powerful and
more influential a chieftain was, the lesser the influence of his people.
Although the leader had much power, he was not above the law. He could be
criticized both by advisors as well as by his people, and compensation could be
demanded
Culture
Traditionally, Bantu speakers were not territorially
minded like the Europeans, but rather group-related. As long as sufficient land
was available, they had only very vague conceptions of borders. Borders were
natural features such as rivers or mountains, which were not by any means
fixed.
Common ideas among Bantu of South Africa
} Communities
divisions and their common ideas
Bantu communities
South Africa Bantu speaking communities
are roughly divided into four main groups Nguni, Sotho,Tswana, Vhavenda and Shangana Tsonga, with the Nguni representing
the largest group. These are divided as follows:-
v Northern Nguni Swati,Zulu,Ndebele,Ngoni (in
Northern Zimbabwe)
v Suthern Nguni Mfengu,Mpondo, Mpondomise,Thembu, Xhosa,
Shangane Tsonga, Sotho-Tswana, Basotho, Lozi
v Northern Sotho, Balobedu, Bapedi, Batswana,
Vhavenda, Vhalemba(speaking Tshivenda)
Common ideas
} Common
among the two powerful divisions of the Nguni and the Sotho–Tswana are
Matrilineal societies, with which the leaders formed the socio-political units.
Similarly, food acquisition was by cultivation and hunting
LAND OWNERSHIP
} Individual
ownership of land is not characteritics of national identity of bantu
people(Beningfield,2006)
} Communial
land ownership is the accepted traditions.
} The
chief decided how it was to be
ü he has the power to give other people
ü the right to use land on a temporal basis for
his own people(Beinat 2006)
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
v They
cultivated crops like millets, beans, sorghum, pumpkin and water melon.
v They
keep animals like cattle's, goats and sheep.
v Cultivation
was done by girls and women.
v Animal
keeping wa being done by Men
v In
the 16th century maize was introduce by the Portuguese.
v Cattle
was used for exchange with other goods
v The
cattle were used to pay as wages to poorers who worked to the reach.
v Hunting
was being done by the Bantu
v They
collected honey from the forests.
v Mining
of copper, tin, gold and iron`
v Craft
industry produced pots, baskets, mats, leather work, ivory carving, barter
trade and long distance trade were also done. Therefore the economy was
diversified.(Mugaju 1992:20-23)
ETHNIC PARTITIONING
} South
Africa's Bantu speaking communities are roughly "divided" into
four main groups: Nguni, Sotho–Tswana, Vhavenda and Shangana Tsonga, with the
Nguni representing the largest group. These are divided as follows (this list
is not exhaustive):
} Nguni
◦ Northern
Nguni
– Swati
– Zulu
– NdebeleXhosa
} Shangane
Tsonga
} Sotho–Tswana
– BasoNgoni
(in Northern Zimbabwe)
◦ Southern
Nguni
– Mfengu
– Mpondo
– Mpondomise
– Thembu
◦ tho
◦ Lozi
◦ Northern
Sotho
– Balobedu
– Bapedi
◦ Batswana
} Vhavenda
} Vhalemba
◦ (speaking
Tshivenda)
} Common
among the two powerful divisions of the Nguni and the Sotho–Tswana are
patrilineal societies, with which the leaders formed the socio-political units.
Similarly, food acquisition was by cultivation and hunting. The most important
differences are the strongly deviating languages, although both are Southern
Bantu languages, and the different settlement types and relationships. With the
Nguni settlements were villages widely scattered, whereas with the Sotho–Tswana
settled in towns.
FOOD ACQUISITION
} Their
food acquisition was primarily limited to agriculture and hunting, where
generally the women were responsible for agriculture and the men drew for the
hunt. Except with the Tsonga (and partially the Mpondo), fishing was
surprisingly of little importance. The diet consisted of corn (introduced from
South-East Asia), meat (mostly wild game and beef), vegetables; and milk, water
and grain beer (which contained very little alcohol compared with European
beer).
} There
were a number of taboos regarding the consumption of meat. No meat of dogs,
apes, crocodiles and snakes could be eaten. Likewise taboo was the meat of some
birds, like owls, crows and vultures, as well as the flesh of certain totem
animals.
} All
Bantu speaking communities commonly had clear separation between the tasks of
the women and those of the men.
HOUSE TYPES
} Traditionally,
communities live in two different types of houses. The Nguni use the Beehive
house, a circular structure out of long poles, which is covered with grass. The
huts of the Sotho–Tswana, Venda and Shangana Tsonga use the cone and cylinder
house types. A cylindrical wall is formed out of vertical posts, which is
sealed with mud and cow dung. The roof is built from tied-together poles. The
floor of both types is compressed earth.
} The
term “Bantu people” is used to describe the roughly 60 million Africans who speak
languages in the Bantu language family. Given that there are approximately 400
of these closely related languages, it should come as no surprise that these
people are incredibly diverse, and that societies and governments among Bantus
can be radically different. Some people feel that the term may not be entirely
appropriate, since it encompasses such a huge group of Africans; these
individuals may prefer to identify individual communities instead.
} It
is estimated that the tribes that make up this group probably began migrating
from Northern Africa around 3,000 BCE. They probably brought an assortment of
skills with them, including the ability to farm and work metals such as iron,
and this migration continued until around the fourth century CE. Many of these
people settled south of the Congo River. Over time, a number of languages,
including Swahili, Kirundi, Gikuyu, Tsonga, and Basaa, developed; many of these
languages share the word “Bantu” for people, and except for a region in
South-East Africa where Khoi-San is spoken, they cover Southern Africa.
CULTURE
} Traditionally,
Bantu speakers were not territorially minded like the Europeans, but rather
group-related. As long as sufficient land was available, they had only very
vague conceptions of borders. Borders were natural features such as
rivers or mountains, which were not by any means fixed.
POLITICAL
ORGANIZATION OF BANTU
◦ The
political of organization of bantu
were divided into different
clans
◦ The
smallest Unity of the political organization
structure was household
or kraal ,consist of man and women and their
children other relatives
living in the same
household .{ Rogers B:2000}
◦ Also
inheritance of chiefdom .Chiefs
were often replaced when
not effectives with most clan
the oldest son inherited
the office of his father.
SOCIAL
ORGANIZATION OF BANTU
} BANTU MUSIC
Traditionally
the Nguni are Vocalist
and instruments who
favor rattles reed flutes ,whistles
horns ,Apparently they
did not originally haves drums.
BANTU RELIGION
} Bantu
had basic beliefs was polytheistic people had to follow certain sets of rule in
order to receive abundantly harvest and
gifted many other blessings. Who was also
against to this rule was punished. They also belief in many small
deities that influenced the daily affairs of the people.
v -
they believes life after death
REFERENCE
} Guthrie,
M (1967) Comparative Bantu, Farnbouughi Gregg International Publisher south
africa
} Rogen
B Beck(2000) The History of South Africa. Greenwood press America.
} Funso
A F (2004)culture and customs of south Africa. United states publishers.
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