“Abantu: Threads That Bind Us” is my personal celebration of South Africa's diverse indigenous cultures, an intimate exploration of identity, and a tribute to the resilience of cultural memory. In this solo exhibition, I bridge the distance between the past and the present through artistic interpretations of archival materials and contemporary design, inviting you to reconnect with histories that remain alive in spirit yet often overlooked. The exhibition unfolds across two levels. On the lower ground level, The Archive, I honour the richness of ancestral knowledge and craftsmanship. Featuring archival beadwork loaned from Wits Arts Museum and embroidered portraits of kings and cultural leaders, this space offers a reverent encounter with the legacies that have shaped South Africa's indigenous identities. Here, history is not static; it is a conversation that continues to unfold.
On the ground floor, The Present, I reimagine these archival encounters as vibrant contemporary works. From art jewellery and vases to re-staged photographic portraits of traditional attire, each piece speaks to the transformative power of remembering and reinterpreting. These works celebrate how the past lives on in the present, not as mere relics but as active agents of inspiration and identity. Through this exhibition, I seek to provide a space where those disconnected from their lineage can rediscover and celebrate it. “Abantu: Threads That Bind Us” invites you to consider how heritage shapes who we are and to celebrate the enduring threads of belonging that connect us all.
Prof Khaya Mchunu’s keynote address
When Khanya Mthethwa asked me to give an address for this solo exhibition, Abantu: Threads That Bind Us, I was confused, nervous, thinking to myself why is this woman doing this to me? I was wondering if I was truly the right person to give an address to this show and the themes that it embarks upon.
But there was generosity shown by Khanya to invite me to aspects of her making process. Mary Gelinas (2017:np) writes about generative generosity being “interactions that make people “feel included and cared about”. The invites to her making process, then, were an invitation to see how, as designers, we generate responses to some of the questions that we ask archives, but also the questions that archives ask us. In addition to this, the work shows how, when used in certain ways, archives can be the fuel that sets the creative process alight – referring here to the works presented on the lower ground floor under the sub-theme The Archive.
Writing about the Bernberg Fashion and Textiles Collection archived at Museum Africa, Alison Moloney, Wanda Lephoto, and Erica de Greef (2022:546), state that when first encountering the collection, the question that swam in their minds was “Is this beauty or trauma?” “The collective encounter with Museum Africa’s fashion archive” they write (2022:546), “agitates and propels an on-going dialogue between us as witnesses to a collection so problematic that it continues to raise more questions and require more critical and affective/explorations in our pursuit of answers both curatorially and epistemically.”
Archives, whether in picture form or as material objects, are not or rather should not exist passively to be looked at by the viewing public. Given Abantu: Threads that Bind Us and the way in which imagery has been used, echoes American scholar and black feminist theorist of visual culture and contemporary art, Tina Campt (2017) and her book, Listening to images. Campt (2017:6) writes and I quote “the choice to ‘listen to’ rather than simply ‘look at’ images is a conscious decision to challenge the equation of vision with knowledge by engaging photography through a sensory register that is critical to Black […] cultural formations: sound”. Campt continues to state that “Sound can be listened to, and, in equally powerful ways, sound can be felt; it both touches and moves people” (2017:6). Listening to photographs Campt (2017:28) writes we realise that “They are quiet, yet anything but silent.”
Transferring the photographs of leaders such as Shaka ka Senzangakhona, Sekhukhune wa Sekwati, and Sobhuza among others, onto fabric and working into that output through techniques such as beading, embroidery, applique, and safety pinning is understood, then, if we use Campt’s (2017) idea as a response to the process of looking at but also listening to what these photographs say and what they mean. The beading, embroidery, and more can be viewed as suggested by Carolyn Cooper (2010:39) as an instance of textile as text, where the warp and weft of threads contrive identities. These pieces are summed up by Khanya, who asserts in her artist statement that they are “a reverent encounter with the legacies that have shaped South Africa's indigenous identities.” She continues to write that “Here, history is not static; it is a conversation that continues to unfold.”
Abantu is, at least in my eyes, building on her previous works, Echoes of the Past and Echoes of the Past 2.0. Looking at these outputs collectively, that is Echoes, Echoes 2.0, and Abantu, I think it is clear that Khanya carves out a space for herself as a designer and practitioner who continually formulates a dialogue between indigenous knowledge systems and contemporary modes of artistic expression through jewellery design, and the wearing and styling of jewellery on the body.
I have previously and continue to make sense of Khanya’s work, especially her contemporary take on historical forms, through Carol Tulloch’s (2016) extraordinary writing, titled Birth of Cool. In her work, Tulloch presents concepts of style narratives and probably my favourite idea from the book called “cool: aesthetic of presence”. As a concept, Tulloch writes that cool is “an expansive diasporic act of black aesthetics, as well as cool being a critical tool in the projection of the aesthetics of presence”. For clarity, Carol Tulloch sees the use of fashion items, which broadly includes garments, hairstyling, piercings, and jewellery pieces amongst others, as items used to promulgate an aesthetic of presence, that is, a technique of being to counter the aesthetics of invisibility.” Presence, even in some provocative, effaced depictions, swims through the works on display in this exhibition.
While Tulloch writes from a British perspective, Carolyn Cooper, offers the Jamaican perspective. Cooper is known for studying dressed and undressed bodies as well as the lyrical content of Jamaican musicians largely in the dancehall genre. She merges these ideas, that is dressed, undressed bodies, and lyrics, to analyse and understand societal and cultural formations.
Using the marriage of music, jewellery, and fashion design, I now focus on one of the words used in this exhibition – threads.
I was drawn to Khanya’s use of the word ‘threads’ and purposefully translated it to a isiZulu word that shares a very similar meaning, ukotini. The word and its symbolic meaning have, of course, been used in the arts, more specifically in music. Reference has to be made to the musician Igeza LakwaMgube and his 2020 song of the same name, Ukotini. A few years earlier, in 2017, maskandi musician Mthandeni SK, released his 2017 track Sikulento yamanzi (Sidl'ukotini), I give the literal English translation, “it is the idea of water, we consume cotton or thread”. The lyrics go something like
Ungangiboni ngithambe kanjena
Ungangiboni ngithule kanjena
Anginamuti mina ngizwana namanzi kwedini
Ungangiboni ngidume kanjena Uthi nginomuti
Angidingi muthi ngizwanamanzi
Aw’zidlukotini kwedini
Don’t be puzzled by my quiet demeanour
I do not consume muti, I love water
Don’t be puzzled by my popularity and think I use umuti
No, I do not need umuti
I love water
Mthandeni SK’s song interpolates the smash hit, Sidlukotini by the late rapper, Riky Rick. Riky Rick raps the following lyrics:
Came to perform and let's fill and leave Sidlukotini kwedini
Cava le jean kwedini eh
Cava le slamba boy eh
Sidl' ilast number boy eh
Wena unamanga boy eh and then the signature line “Sidlukotini” is repeated multiple times.
Came to perform and let’s fill and leave I consume thread boy
Look at my pair of jeans, boy
Look at my jacket, boy I wear or consume only the best Sidlukotini
We consume cotton or thread a line repeated multiple times, to drum in the idea and power of thread, the power of cotton, the power of the sartorial.
Whether in the ways thread is used as a machine embroidery motif in nwenda worn by Venda women (featured in one of the photographs in this exhibition), its use to attach the ricrac detail on umbhaco skirts worn by Xhosa women (another photograph included), or for more pragmatic reasons in which it binds the garment pieces to be put on the human body, thread is a constant. This symbolically encapsulates thread as a binding feature across cultures and identities in South Africa and beyond. The act of consuming thread, using the words of the lyricists, is familiar to many.
To conclude, I wish to return to Campt’s idea of listening and urge listening to thread and multiple forms in which it is presented in Khanya’s exhibition. When we take a moment to listen to threads, and the frequency of its sound, will we perhaps hear, as Campt (2017:45) writes its “unsaying truths”, “its quiet frequency of possibility” will we be given “access to something much more mediated and perhaps far more powerful: the hum of utopian dreams”. This is my takeaway from this exhibition.
Siyabonga Mthethwa
Siyabonga Dingiswayo
Siyabonga Nyambose
Speech written by Professor Khaya Mchunu
Khoi & San Bantu
The Khoi- San:AConsolidated Identity Without Kingship
The Khoi-San is a collective term for the Khoikhoi and San peoples, two of the oldest indigenous groups in southernAfrica. Historically, they were distinct: the San (Bushmen) lived as hunter-gatherers, while the Khoikhoi (Hottentots) were pastoralists, herding livestock. However, due to colonial expansion and dispossession, their identities were gradually merged under the broad term "Khoisan," despite their separate cultural and linguistic histories.
Unlike manyAfrican societies, Khoi-San communities did not have centralised kingships or hierarchical leadership structures. Instead, they were organized into small, autonomous clans or bands, where leadership was based on consensus and elder wisdom rather than hereditary rule. Among the San, decisions were made collectively, with elders or skilled hunters having influence but not absolute authority. Similarly, Khoikhoi chieftaincies existed, but their leaders functioned more as heads of kinship groups rather than sovereign monarchs.
The colonial era played a significant role in erasing and reshaping Khoi- San identities, as European settlers displaced them from their lands, leading to cultural fragmentation and forced assimilation. Over time, the Khoikhoi and San were grouped together under racial classifications that disregarded their distinct histories. The term "Khoisan" itself was popularized in the 20th century by anthropologists to describe their shared linguistic and genetic traits, further reinforcing a singular identity.
Despite the absence of a traditional king, a representation of a Khoi-San leader in the exhibition serves as a crucial acknowledgment of their historical presence and resilience. It emphasizes that leadership and governance existed in multiple forms beyond monarchy. Including them ensures that their unique political and cultural systems are recognized, challenging the misconception that African governance was solely built on kingship, and restoring visibility to one of SouthAfrica’s foundational indigenous groups.
References: (Jethro 2017; Adhikari 2005)
Khanya Mthethwa, Khoi-San textile, embroidery thread, cotton twill, beads, water colour paint , and silver, 1 meter x 1 , 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Khoi-San cave paintings inspired, 3D printed vase,16cm x 16,6cm, 2024.
EmaSwati
King Sobhuza II and the Swazi
People: UnityAcross Borders
King Sobhuza II’s reign (circa 1899-1982) was crucial not only for the Swazi people in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) but also for the Swazi communities in SouthAfrica. Sobhuza II’s leadership extended far beyond the borders of Eswatini, as he was deeply involved in the affairs of Swazi people living in SouthAfrica, particularly in the areas of the former KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces. These regions were home to many Swazi people who had migrated over time or were displaced during the colonial era, often working in mines, farming, and as labourers.
In SouthAfrica, the Swazi people were often subject to the policies of both colonial and apartheid governments. They lived within the wider context of Zulu and Nguni communities, and their cultural and political identity was sometimes diluted or overshadowed by larger regional powers. However, Sobhuza II remained a symbol of unity for the Swazi people on both sides of the border, advocating for their rights and political recognition within SouthAfrica while simultaneously steering Eswatini towards sovereignty. He worked to preserve Swazi culture, identity, and governance structures, helping to ensure that the Swazi people, regardless of their location, remained connected to their heritage and their king.
In Eswatini, Sobhuza II played a pivotal role in maintaining the kingdom’s independence from British colonial rule and later from apartheid SouthAfrica. His efforts towards a negotiated independence in 1968 strengthened the Swazi kingdom’s unity and identity. The Swazi people in SouthAfrica often looked to him as a spiritual and political leader who represented their interests even as they lived under a foreign government.
The king’s ability to manage both his people in Eswatini and those in SouthAfrica demonstrates his profound influence and the unity of the Swazi people across borders. His legacy of resilience, cultural preservation, and political diplomacy remains a powerful part of the Swazi narrative in both nations.
Khanya Mthethwa, King Sobhuza II textile, cotton twill, image transfer, red and white beads, water colour paint , feather, and charcoal, 1 meter x 1 meter, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Swati Necklace, silver, red beads, branch, rubber cord and resin, 11,6cm x 2cm, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Swati shield brooch, silver, stained glass and beads, 6cm x 8,8cm , 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Traditional Swati pattern fabric corset, Ziyanda Sam (model), size 34, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Swati beadwork pattern inspired, 3D printed vase, 8,2cm x 16,3cm, 2024
Khanya Mthethwa, Siso Tom (Photographer), Imbali yempilo (Swati) [unframed], 2024.
AmaNdebele
King
Nyabela:
DefianceAgainst Colonial and Zulu Domination
King Nyabela (circa 1825 to 1830 –1893) was the ruler of the Ndzundza Ndebele during a time of intense conflict with both colonial forces and Zulu expansion. His leadership is significant for resisting Boer colonial rule, culminating in the prolonged 'Mapoch War' (1882–1883). Unlike King Mzilikazi, who established the Matabele kingdom through conquest and migration, Nyabela’s resistance was deeply tied to protecting Ndzundza sovereignty on their ancestral lands.
The Ndzundza Ndebele, a branch of the greater Ndebele people, had a distinct identity separate from the Zulu and Matabele. While Mzilikazi, a former Zulu general, led his people on a northward migration to escape Shaka’s rule, the Ndzundza remained in present-day Mpumalanga, forging their own political and cultural path. Nyabela’s resistance was not about expansion but survival, as he defended his people from both the Boers and internal factionalism.
The Ndzundza-Boer War erupted due to tensions over land and sovereignty. The Boers sought to displace the Ndzundza, seeing them as obstacles to territorial expansion. Nyabela led his people in a guerrilla-style resistance, sheltering them in mountain fortresses. Despite withstanding a year-long siege, Nyabela was eventually captured in 1883 and sentenced to life imprisonment. His defiance, however, cemented him as a symbol of indigenous resistance against colonial conquest.
In this exhibition, King Nyabela is chosen over Mzilikazi to highlight resistance from within SouthAfrica’s borders rather than exile-led state formation. His leadership speaks to indigenous communities who fought to remain on their land despite overwhelming colonial aggression.
References: (Mchunu 1991; Saks 2008)
Khanya Mthethwa, King Nyabela textile, embroidery thread, cotton twill, image transfer, beads, Ndebele chino patterned fabric and water colour paint, 1 meter x 1 meter, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Ndebele pendant , woven fine silver, glass beads and stainless-steel wire, 50cm x 14 cm, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Ndebele woman inspired, 3D printed vase,17,5cm x 40,9 cm, 2024. Ndebele woman necklace, image transfer, canvas, acrylic paint, and beads, 42cm (length), 2025.
Khanya Mthethwa, Siso Tom (Photographer), Impande yokuphila (Ndebele) [unframed], 2024
AmaZulu
King Shaka: TheAbsent Image and the Power of Representation
King Shaka kaSenzangakhona (circa 1787–1828) remains one of the most influential figures in SouthernAfrican history, yet no verified image of him exists. Unlike European monarchs and later African leaders who were depicted through paintings or photographs during their lifetimes, Shaka left behind no firsthand visual representation. The images commonly associated with him are artistic interpretations created long after his death, shaped by colonial narratives rather than historical accuracy.
This absence of an authentic portrait highlights the significance of oral history in Zulu culture, where storytelling, praise poetry (izibongo), and collective memory serve as the primary means of historical preservation. While written accounts of Shaka’s life exist-mostly from European observers-they are often biased, portraying him as either a ruthless conqueror or a brilliant strategist, depending on the perspective of the writer. The lack of an original image reinforces how Shaka’s identity has been mythologized and debated over time.
For this exhibition, a representation of a Zulu warrior has been used as a symbol of Shaka rather than a speculative likeness. This choice acknowledges that Shaka was more than just an individual, he was the architect of the Zulu kingdom, a leader whose military innovations, political strategies, and cultural impact shaped the identity of the Zulu people.
The use of a symbolic figure instead of an imagined portrait, invites viewers to reflect on how history is recorded and visualized. The depiction of a Zulu warrior respects the historical reality of Shaka’s undocumented image while emphasizing his enduring legacy, a legacy that lives on in the strength, resilience, and cultural identity of the Zulu nation today.
References: (Parker 2010; Mkhize 2015)
Khanya Mthethwa, King Shaka textile, embroidery thread, cotton twill, beads, image transfer and water colour paint, 1 meter x 1 meter, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Zulu beadwork pattern inspired, 3D printed vase, 16,3cm x 16,4cm, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Siso Tom (Photographer), Impande yokuphila (Zulu) [unframed], 2024.
AmaXhosa
King Hintsa kaKhawuta: The Beheaded Xhosa King
King Hintsa kaKhawuta (circa 1780–1835) was a paramount ruler of the Gcaleka Xhosa, remembered for his resistance against British colonial expansion and his tragic death. His demise during the Sixth Frontier War (1834–1836) remains one of the most violent symbols of colonial conquest in SouthAfrican history, although the exact circumstances of his death are contested.
As king of the Gcaleka Xhosa, Hintsa led his people in defending their land from British incursions in the Eastern Cape. The British sought to expand their colonial territory, forcibly removing Xhosa people from their ancestral land under the pretence of maintaining "order." In 1835, after months of warfare, Hintsa was summoned by Governor Sir Harry Smith under the false promise of negotiating peace. However, he was instead taken hostage and ordered to surrender land and cattle as war reparations.
Realising the betrayal, Hintsa attempted to escape on 12 May 1835, but was shot, captured, and then executed by British soldiers led by George Southey. While some historical accounts suggest his head was taken to Britain as a trophy, this detail remains disputed, with scholars like Hlonipha Mokoena and Nomalanga Mkhize questioning the veracity of this claim. The whereabouts of his head remain unknown, adding to the ambiguity surrounding his death. This act of violence was not just a murder but a deliberate attempt to break the spirit of the Xhosa resistance.
Despite the contested nature of his death, Hintsa’s legacy endures as a symbol ofAfrican resistance against colonial oppression. His story remains deeply embedded in Xhosa cultural memory, inspiring generations to challenge injustice. His death, however, it occurred, serves as a stark reminder of the lengths to which colonial forces went to subjugate indigenous African rulers, yet it is also a testament to the resilience of the Xhosa nation.
References: (Mkhize 2009; Mokoena 2011)
Khanya Mthethwa, King Hintsa kaKhawuta textile, blue and pink beads, cotton twill, canvas, natural Springbok hide, water colour paint and charcoal, 1 meter x 1 meter, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Xhosa woman necklace, filigree, woven fine silver and glass beads, 60 cm x 5,0 cm, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Xhosa umgxashiso pin inspired necklace, woven fine silver and glass beads, 40 cm x 20 cm, 2024.
King Dimbanyika ruled from (1688-1722) was a paramount ruler of the Venda people, leading during a period of consolidation and external threats. The Venda trace their origins to the Mapungubwe civilization and later developed an organized kingdom in present-day Limpopo, SouthAfrica. Unlike neighbouring groups that were absorbed into larger military states, the Venda maintained a distinct identity due to their mountainous terrain and strategic diplomacy.
Dimbanyika’s rule was marked by the protection of Venda sovereignty and cultural traditions.
Venda kings held both political and spiritual authority, serving as custodians of sacred sites and rainmaking rituals. These traditions reinforced their legitimacy and ensured continuity despite external pressures. Oral histories suggest that under Dimbanyika, the Venda resisted incursions from rival polities while fostering internal stability.
As no verified portraits of King Dimbanyika exist, this exhibition presents a symbolic representation rather than a literal depiction. The image, originally titled Male Muvenda at Mbilwe (Plate IV), was part of early ethnographic studies describing the aristocratic features of Venda men. The caption from this study notes: - (Godby 2010)
"Exhibiting the more 'aristocratic' type of face, with which also seems to go a somewhat greater degree of hairiness on the face than the other type shows. The African negro in general is glabrous, and great pride is usually displayed in the possession of facial hair."
While the image does not depict Dimbanyika himself, it reflects the dignified presence of Venda leadership as observed in historical accounts. This representation highlights his legacy and the resilience of the Venda people, emphasizing how leadership among SouthAfrican indigenous groups was not solely defined by warfare but also by spiritual governance and cultural preservation.
References: (Crain 2014)
Khanya Mthethwa, King Dimbanyika textile, fabric , image transfer, cotton twill, water colour paint and embroidery, 1 meter x 1 meter, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Tassel Jacket, Ntokozo Mngoma (model), large size, 2024.
Batswana
King Sechele I and the Complexity of Tswana Identity
The Tswana people are not a single, homogeneous group but rather a collection of closely related chiefdoms, each with its own leadership and historical trajectory. Major Tswana groups include the Bakwena, Bafokeng, Barolong, Bakgatla, Bangwaketse, and Batlhaping, among others. These groups, while sharing linguistic and cultural ties, maintained political independence, forming separate kingdoms and chieftaincies across present-day Botswana and SouthAfrica.
King Sechele I (circa 1810-1892), as ruler of the Bakwena, was arguably one of the most influential Tswana leaders of the 19th century. However, his impact extended beyond his own group, shaping broader Tswana responses to colonial pressures. His military encounters with the Ndebele under Mzilikazi and the Boers influenced resistance strategies among other Tswana communities. At the same time, his engagement with Christianity and literacy, facilitated by missionary David Livingstone, introduced religious and social transformations that spread across Tswana polities. Sechele’s ability to reinterpret Christianity to align with Tswana customs made him a pivotal figure in indigenous religious adaptation.
Unlike centralized empires such as the Zulu or Ndebele kingdoms, Tswana governance was more decentralized. Each Kgosi (chief/king) led an independent polity, which meant that while Sechele was a powerful figure, he was not the singular leader of all Tswana people. His Bakwena lineage was distinct from other ruling houses, such as the Bafokeng under Mokgatle and the Barolong under Montshiwa, both of whom had their own approaches to resisting colonial expansion.
Including Sechele in this exhibition highlights the diverse nature of Tswana leadership. He serves as an entry point into understanding how Tswana communities navigated political autonomy, adaptation, and resistance in the face of colonial challenges, emphasizing that their history cannot be reduced to a single narrative or ruler.
Khanya Mthethwa, King Sechele I textile, cream white knitted scarf, glass beads, shweshwe fabric, image transfer, cotton twill, coffee stain, water colour paint and charcoal, 1 meter x 1 meter , 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Tswana Shweshwe pattern inspired, 3D printed vase, 23,4cm x 32,5cm, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Shweshwe brooch, Silver, white, cream beads and resin, 6,2cm x 10,9cm x 5,5cm, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Siso Tom (Photographer ), Motlhakanelwa wa botshelo (Setswana) [unframed], 2024.
Basotho
King Moshoeshoe I: The Shared Legacy of SouthAfrican Basotho
King Moshoeshoe I (circa 1786–1870) is widely regarded as the father of the Basotho nation, yet his legacy extends beyond Lesotho into SouthAfrica, where many Basotho people still recognize him as their ancestral leader. Born in Menkwaneng, near modern-day Bethlehem in the Free State, Moshoeshoe's early years were spent among Sotho-speaking communities in what is now SouthAfrica. However, his leadership during the Mfecane led him to establish a new kingdom at Thaba Bosiu, laying the foundation for the Basotho identity.
During his reign, Basotho lands once stretched into present-day Free State, but colonial expansion by Boers of the Orange Free State led to land disputes and wars. The Free State–Basotho Wars (1858–1868) saw Moshoeshoe fiercely defend his people’s sovereignty. However, after losing vast territories to the Boers, he sought British protection, leading to Basutoland (present-day Lesotho) becoming a British protectorate in 1868. This political separation meant that many Basotho remained in Boer-controlled territories, later incorporated into SouthAfrica.
Despite these divisions, the cultural and historical ties between SouthAfrican Basotho and Lesotho remain strong. Many SouthAfrican Basotho still pay homage to Moshoeshoe, recognizing him as their historical ruler. The annual Moshoeshoe Day (March 11) is commemorated by Basotho people on both sides of the border.
Including Moshoeshoe in this exhibition acknowledges the enduring presence of Basotho communities in SouthAfrica and their deep connection to his legacy. His story is one ofAfrican unity, resistance, and resilience, showing that borders imposed by colonialism could not erase the bonds of language, identity, and heritage that link SouthAfrican Basotho and Lesotho to this day.
References: (Moshoeshoe 2007; Peterson 1999)
Khanya Mthethwa, King Moshoeshoe I textile , embroidery thread, glass bead cotton twill, water colour paint and charcoal, 1 meter x 1 meter , 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Sotho Lesira inspired (face piece), plastic beads and stainless steel. 30 cm x 18 cm, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Sotho Man brooch, silver, resin and acrylic paint, 6,5cm x 4,5cm, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Siso Tom (Photographer ), Motso oa bophelo (Sotho) [framed], 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Sotho hat inspired, 3D printed vase, 27,5cm x 18,4cm , 2024.
VaTsonga
King Soshangane:AShared Heritage of the Tsonga and Shangaan People
King Soshangane kaZikode (circa 1780–1858) was the founder of the Gaza Empire, which shaped the identities of both the Tsonga and Shangaan people. Originally a Zulu general under King Shaka, he fled north during the Mfecane and established rule over various groups in present-day Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and northeastern SouthAfrica. His governance left a lasting impact, leading to the ongoing distinction between Tsonga and Shangaan identities.
Before Soshangane’s rule, the Tsonga people lived in decentralized chiefdoms, speaking Xitsonga and maintaining their own cultural traditions. When Soshangane conquered the region, he integrated Tsonga, Ndau, and Shona people into his empire, imposing Nguni military and political structures. Those under his centralized rule became known as Shangaan, a term derived from "Soshangane." However, many Tsonga groups outside his empire retained their precolonial identity, leading to today’s differentiation between Tsonga and Shangaan people.
Linguistically, Shangaan is a variant of Xitsonga, but cultural and governance structures differ.
The Shangaan adopted Zulu-style military regiments (amabutho), while traditional Tsonga society remained decentralized. During apartheid, the Gazankulu homeland reinforced these distinctions, with some Tsonga resisting the Shangaan classification, viewing it as an erasure of their history. Others embraced it as a legacy of Soshangane’s rule.
In this exhibition, Soshangane serves as a unifying figure representing both identities. His empire influenced Tsonga culture while creating the Shangaan identity. Whether viewed as a conqueror or cultural integrator, his impact is undeniable. In this exhibition, he is used to highlight the shared heritage of Tsonga and Shangaan people, acknowledging historical complexities while fostering an understanding of their interconnected past. The distinction remains a subject of cultural and academic discussion, reflecting the lasting impact of 19thcentury history.
Khanya Mthethwa, King Soshangane textile , embroidery thread cotton twill, image transfer, safety pins, beads and water colour paint., 1 meter x 1 meter , 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Tsonga xibelani necklace, fabric and beads, 30 cm x 15 cm, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Tsonga xibelani inspired, 3D printed vase, 16,5cm x 11,5 cm, 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Black jacket and Tsonga fabric peplum skirt, Nthabiseng Motsepe (model), chino fabric, size 30 , 2024.
Khanya Mthethwa, Siso Tom (Photographer ), Mudyondzisi wa vutomi (Tsonga) [unframed], 2024.
Bapedi
King Sekukhune: Resistance and the Struggle for Bapedi Sovereignty
King Sekukhune I (circa 1814–1882) was a formidable leader of the Bapedi people, remembered for his resistance against colonial forces. As the ruler of the Marota dynasty, he defended his kingdom against the Boers, and the British, making him one of the most significant African resistance leaders of the 19th century.
Sekukhune ascended to the throne in 1861, following the death of his father, King Sekwati. He ruled over the Pedi Kingdom in present-day Limpopo, strengthening it both militarily and economically. His rule coincided with the increasing encroachment of European settlers seeking control over land and resources. To resist this, he built Thaba Sekhukhune, a mountain fortress that became a symbol of Pedi resilience.
The Sekukhune Wars (1876–1879) were pivotal in his legacy. His first major confrontation was against the Boers of the SouthAfrican Republic in 1876, where his forces successfully repelled their invasion. However, in 1879, a stronger British-led army, supported by Swazi allies, attacked the Pedi stronghold. Despite fierce resistance, Sekukhune was captured and exiled to Pretoria. He was later released in 1881, but his kingdom had lost its sovereignty.
Sekukhune’s resistance represents the broader African struggle against colonial dispossession. His leadership demonstrated the determination of the Bapedi people to maintain their land and independence. By including him in this exhibition, I highlight the resilience of the Pedi nation.
References: (The Presidency 2001)
Khanya Mthethwa, King Sekukhune textile , Springbok hide, glass beads, cotton twill, image transfer, water colour paint and charcoal., 1 meter x 1 meter , 2024.
