Waterval

For the M.C. Escher lithograph Waterval, see Waterfall in 1994, the area was shifted to Makhado Local Munic(M. C. Escher).
ipality and now forms part of Vhembe District Municipality.
Waterval is a residential township in front of Elim Hospital, it is situated in the Hlanganani district of the former Tsonga homeland of Gazankulu, alongside the R578
road to Giyani in the Limpopo province of South Africa.
Waterval includes Njhakanhjaka, Lemana, Elim Hospital, Elim Mall, Hubyeni Shopping centre, Magangeni but
excludes Shirley village, which is a separate and stand
alone farm, sharing a legal boundary with Waterval and
Mbhokota village to the east.

2 History of Hosi Nhjakanhjaka:

Headman of Spelonken
3 Tsonga Trading Posts in the interior

As of mid-2015 population statistics (Stats SA), it had

a population of 9 000 people and is part of Njhakanjhaka Traditional Authority or Elim/Shirley Traditional
Authority, with a combined population of more than 22
000 people according to mid-2015 population statistics
(Stats SA). The Njhakanhjaka Traditional Authority or
Elim/Shirley Traditional Authority proper includes Mbhokota, Bokisi, Chavani, Riverplaats and Nwaxinyamani
and has a total population of more than 42 000 people
combined. Because of Apartheid policies of the 1960s,
the land of Nhjakanhjaka Traditional Authority was reduced to Waterval, Shirley, Lemana and Elim, leaving the
villages of Mbhokota, Bokisi, Chavani, Riverplaats and
Nwaxinyamani to be governed independently by Chief
Nhjakanhjakas rst born son, Chief Chavani Nhjakanhjaka Mukhari. These villages are collectively known as
Nkhensani Tribal Authority, under Chief Nhjakanhjakas
son, Hosi Chavani. Nkhensani Tribal Authoritys oces
are based at Chavani Village, behind the township of Waterval.

From the year 1554 when Lourenco Marques, a Portuguese trader settled on the land of the Tsonga, trade
between Portugal and Africa began. Between 1554-1800,
the Tsonga people started to leave the east coast and begin trade with the interior. They established 'trade routes
that included the whole eastern Transvaal and the northern Transvaal. The Tsonga traded goods with both the
Venda and the Pedi between the years 1554-1800 but
they did not settled in these areas. Goods traded with
the Venda and the Pedi included beads, clothes, Maize,
guns, soap, and shoes,which the Tsonga obtained from
the Portuguese and were rewarded with both Ivory and
Iron by the Venda in exchange for goods sold. The Venda
were skilled locksmith, they traded iron to the Tsonga
and the Tsonga sold them Maize and introduced maize to
the whole of Venda. Prior to trade between the Tsonga
and the Venda, the Venda used to eat Sorgum as stample
food, but with the arrival of the Tsonga, the Venda ceased
to eat Sorgum as staple food and started eating maize
meal, which the Tsonga introduced to Venda. Both the
Tsonga and the Venda named the new staple food Vuswa
(Tsonga), Vhuswa (Venda). Maize was introduced to the
Tsonga people by Vasco Da Gama in 1497, Vasco Da
Gama stayed briey on the land of the Tsonga and named
it Terra da Boa Gente (Land of the friendly people),
before departing to India on a sea voyage. Vasco Da
Gama or the Portuguese have obtained maize from South
America where they were in their early stages of massive
colonisation of their colony called Portuguese Brazil or
modern day Brazil, Maize is indigenous to South America. However, as trade with the interior developed over
time, the Tsonga established what is called 'trading station', these stations were developed slowly into small villages. The purpose of the 'trading stations was to prevent armed robbery since traders were often robbed their
goods, so trading stations provided security against robbery since all these stations were guarded 24 hours by

Governance

Waterval was proclaimed a township in 1980 by the former Gazankulu homeland, in the district of Hlanganani.
Waterval also forms part of Nhjakanhjaka Traditional
Authority. The Hlanganani Regional Court for the District of Hlanganani (wrongly called Waterval Magistrate
Courts), the historic Elim Hospital, Waterval Post Ofce, Police Station, Hubyeni Shopping Centre, and the
new Elim Mall are all situated in Waterval. Prior to the
Swiss encounter, Chief Nhjakanhjaka exercised authority in the area. This western portion of Gazankulu was
known as the Tsonga nger during the 1950s until the
late 1960s by the Apartheid ocials of the Department of
Bantu Aairs and Development. When Apartheid ended
1

2
armed personnel and their sta. Some of the Tsonga
traders never returned to the east coast and were given responsibility of taking care of these trading stations. Some
Tsonga traders stayed permanently in the Venda and Pedi
villages, never returning to the east coast. For more than
250-years, the Tsonga people had no interest in Colonising the eastern and northern Transvaal, since they treated
both the eastern and northern Transvaal as trading areas
only. Full scale 'internal colonisation' of both the eastern
Transvaal and northern Transvaal only begin from 1820
onwards, this was a period when Soshangane invaded the
Tsonga homeland and a mass exodus of Tsonga refugees
left the east coast in their thousands into both the eastern
and northern Transvaal. This is known as 'forced colonisation' since the Tsonga were forced to vacate their homeland due to war. These new 'colonies that were invaded
by the Tsonga refugees were not new areas, they were
known to the Tsonga for more than 250-years. So the
Tsonga refugees ocked in their thousands and started the
process of 'internal colonisation', which after the period
of 80-years (1820-1900), resulted in the 'internal colonisation of the whole eastern and northern Transvaal by the
Tsonga respectively. The land where Waterval is situated
today was one of the ancient 'Tsonga trading station' and
was already known to the Tsonga people for centuries before the process of 'internal colonisation', however, it was
not known as Waterval.
Chief Njhakanjhaka and his people arrived here between
1818 and 1820 as refugees from Mozambique during the
wars of Soshangane, also known as Manukosi. Chief
Njhakanjhaka was one of many Tsonga leaders who rebelled against the authority of Soshangane and was defeated by the superior Nguni warriors under the command
of Soshangane. Chief Njhakanjhaka had tried to defend
his Tsonga people against the Nguni invaders, who not
only oppressed the his people but also enslaved women
and children. To avoid death and execution at the hands
of Soshangane, Njhakanjhaka ed with his people and
settle at a place known today as Waterval. The land where
Waterval is situated is in fact Nhjakanhjaka.
Chief Nhjakanhjaka was a Paramount Chief of
Spelonken (modern day Valdezia, Elim, NwaXinyamani, Bungeni, Chavani, Mbhokota, Shirley,
in fact the whole of Hlanganani). As Headman of
Spelenkon, Chief Nhjakanhjaka exercised authority over
50 000 Tsonga people who resides at Spelonken district;
the 1905 Transvaal statistics put the number of Tsonga
speakers of Spelonken at 50 000 souls. However, Chief
Nhjakanhjaka was undermined by Joao Albasini, who
made himself paramount chief of all Vatsonga in modern
Hlanganani district. Albasini was indeed a paramount
chief of all Vatsonga in the Spelonken district (modern
day Hlanganani district), it was only after the death of
Joao Albasini in 1888 that Chief Nhjakanhjaka was able
to claim back his chieftainship from Albasini.

ADJACENT AREAS

come a chief at Valdezia, a position he held before the

Swiss Missionaries converted the Vatsonga people to
Christianity. In addition, the Vatsonga headmen all over
Spelonken, known today as Bungeni, Nwaxinyamani,
Chavani and other Tsonga settlements started to declare
their independence from Chief Nhjakanhjaka and were
successful in forming independent polities. It is therefore
incorrect to think that Chief Nhjakanhjaka is a chief at
Elim and Nhjakanhjaka village only, the contrary is true,
Nhjakanhjaka is in fact a Senior or a paramount chief of
all Vatsonga people in the whole Spelonken district and
all Vatsonga people in the Spelenkon district accepted
the Authority of Hosi Njhakanjhaka. Hosi Njhakanjhaka
was a major chief for all Vatsonga people in the Spelenkon district, all other chiefs that exist today in the
present day Hlanganani were appointed by Joao Albasini,
and that weakened the power of Hosi Njhakanjhaka as
his chiefdom was reduced into a small village. Hosi
Njhakanhjaka had 33 wives and more than 100 children.

4 History
The history of Waterval goes back to the founding of the
Swiss Mission Station in Elim in 1878 and the founding of
Elim Hospital in 1899.[2] Prior to this, the Swiss Mission
Station was located in Valdezia, 10 km east of Elim. The
missionaries moved from Valdezia to Waterval because
many of them contracted malaria. The Farm Waterval
included the land where Elim Hospital is located and the
whole of Nhjakanhjaka and Rivoni but excluded Shirley.

5 Tsonga Finger
During the 1950s until the late 1960s, the land of Waterval, Elim, and surrounding land east up to NwaNwaxinyamani was dubbed the 'Tsonga nger'. It was
located in what the Apartheid government considered a
White area in the nearby town of Louis Trichardt and
forced removal was imminent. The Apartheid government attempted, without success, to remove the Tsonga
from Waterval and Elim. By the late 1960s, the Tsonga
nger was annexed to Gazankulu, as well as Elim Hospital.

6 Adjacent areas
6.1 Shirley

The village of Shirley is situated above Waterval, Shirley

is divided into four villages, the one above Waterval, the
one on top of the mountain, the one below the mountain and Akanani, which is the newest of these villages.
By 1888, the Swiss Missionaries have already taken Shirley is also home to Vonani Bila, a poet, writer and
Valdezia, and Chief Nhjakanhjaka was unable to be- entertainer.

6.5

Elim Mall

6.2

Rivoni

This is the original home of Chief Nhjakanhjaka, Rivoni

also houses the Nhjakanhjaka Traditional Authority Ofces, Chief Nhjakanhjaka hold tribal meetings here
(Hubyeni). The Rivoni School for the Blind is also situated here, the SABC presenter, Rhulani Baloyi was born
here, she attended Rivoni School for the Blind.

6.3

Elim

The village of Elim took its name from the historic Elim
Hospital, many prominent Shangaan people also came
from Elim, Eric Miyeni is one of the most popular resident of Elim. The former head of the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa, Ms Pansy Tlakula was
married here and her husbands family, the Tlakulas, are
the land owners at Elim. The new Elim Mall is situated
on land owned by the Tlakula family. Elim refers to Nhjakanhjaka village, Rivoni and Lemana, but exclude Waterval and Shirley.

6.5 Elim Mall

The Tlakula family is still the owner of the land where
Elim Mall is situated, they derived 60% of all the profits made from the mall, while Twin City, the developer of
the mall, get the 40% of the prot. Land negotiation took
more than ve years before the Tlakula family could released the land for development by Twin City. As a sign
of Tlakula familys ownership of Elim Mall, the centre
manager, Ms Basani Tlakula, is a daughter of the Tlakula
family and she manages the mall on behalf of the Tlakula
family.[3]

6.6 Hubyeni Shopping centre

Chief Nhjakanhjaka is the owner of the land where
Hubyeni shopping centre is situated, during the land negotiation with Kerr Development, Chief Nhjakanhjakas
rules were that 10% of shareholders should be transferred to the Njhakanhjaka Traditional Authority under
Elim/Shirley community.

6.7 Lemana Multi-purpose centre

6.4

Elim Hospital

Formerly a college of education, Lemana is an intellectual

giant of the Tsonga/Shangaan people. Many Vatsonga
Chief Nhjakanhjaka, Hakamela Tlakulas grandfather were educated here. The former FRELIMO President,
and Mr Job Makhubele played a vital role during the es- Eduardo Mondlane was educated at Lemana.
tablishment of Elim Hospital. Hakamela Tlakulas grandfather and Mr Job Makhubele owned pieces of land where
Elim Hospital is situated today. Chief Nhjakanhjaka, on 6.8 Vatsonga Cultural Village
behalf of Mr Tlakula and Mr Makhubele, leased the land
to the Swiss missionaries in 1897 for a period of 100 years On top of Ribolla Mountain one nds a place dedicated to
so that Elim Hospital may be established. Therefore, the history of the Tsonga/Shangaan people. It is possible
Chief Nhjakanhjaka, Mr Tlakula and Mr Makhubele are to see 29 villages down the mountain. The Vatsonga Culcredited with the establishment of Elim Hospital. Prior to tural Village was started by a young woman who felt that
1899 (the year Elim Hospital was established), the west- the culture of the Tsonga/Shangaan was under attack by
ern half of Elim Hospital was owned by the Tlakula fam- some European inuences. A visit to the Vatsonga Culily as their family property, while the eastern half of Elim tural Village will leave one proud to be a Tsonga speaker.
Hospital was owned by Mr Job Makhubele as his family The architecture of houses at Vastonga Cultural Village
property (the Makhubele family changed their surname is a true reection of the traditional Shangaan village and
and they are known today as Lowane family).
lifestyle. The construction of the cultural village costed
The Lowane family still resides today at Elim and their the Government more than R1 million.
house can be found on the main road opposite Elim Mall,
along the R578 road, while the Tlakula family resides behind Elim Mall, opposite Elim Hospital. Therefore, the
Tlakula and Lowane families are the true owners of Elim
Hospital because they have title deeds of the land where
Elim Hospital is situated. That is why all the hawkers
who are selling in front of Elim Hospital pay rent every
month to the Tlakula family.
Elim Hospital is a very popular hospital in South Africa
and abroad, particularly in Switzerland where many missionaries came from. The Swiss brought Christianity to
the people of Nhjakanhjaka, one can still see the impact
of such civilisation in the whole of Elim area.

7 Njhakanjhaka royal lineage and

succession
Xilumani (born in Mozambique, date not known),
Died in Waterval/Shirley
Shinguwa (date of birth not known), died in Waterval/Shirley
Njhakanjhaka I (died in 1930 at Waterval farm,
known today as Shirley Village)

8
Njhakanjhaka II (crowned in 1995 and died in 2007
at Shirley Village)
Njhakanjhaka III (crowned in 2011 at Shirley Village, he is the current ruler and chief of Elim/Shirley
Community)

References

[1] Sub Place Waterval. Census 2011.

[2] see at [ www.elimmall.co.za ]
[3] See www.elimall.co.za for more information.

REFERENCES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1

Text

Waterval Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterval?oldid=731741323 Contributors: David Edgar, Woohookitty, Ground Zero,

Htonl, Iridescent, CmdrObot, Doug Weller, Adavidb, Wiae, Niceguyedc, Trivialist, AlanM1, AnomieBOT, Mauro Lanari, Jim1138,
Nicmerky, LittleWink, Underlying lk, John of Reading, Jasonanaggie, Aliwal2012, Zarpboer and Anonymous: 5

9.2

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9.3

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