 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Venda people" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| +2.5 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Collins Chabane Local Municipality, Makhado Local Municipality, Musina Local Municipality, and Thulamela Local Municipality. | |
 South Africa | [1][2][3] |
| Languages | |
| Tshi-Venda andEnglish | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity,Traditional African religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Makua people,Shona people,Pedi people, andKalanga people | |
| Venda | |
|---|---|
| Person | MuVenda |
| People | VhaVenda |
| Language | TshiVenda/Lu-venda |
| Country | BuVenda |
TheVenḓa (VhaVenḓa or Vhangona) are aBantu people native toSouthern Africa living mostly near theSouth African-Zimbabwean border. TheVenda language arose from interactions withSotho-Tswana andKalanga groups from 1400.[4]
The Venda are closely associated with the 13th centuryKingdom of Mapungubwe whereoral tradition holdsKing Shiriyadenga as the first king of Venda and Mapungubwe.[5] The Mapungubwe Kingdom stretched from theSoutpansberg in the south, across theLimpopo River to the Matopos in the north. The Kingdom rapidly declined around 1300 due to climatic change and the population scattered, as power moved north to theGreat Zimbabwe Kingdom. The first Venda settlement in the Soutpansberg was that of the legendary chief Thoho-ya-Ndou (Head of the Elephant). His royalkraal was calledD’zata; its remains have been declared a National Monument. TheMapungubwe Collection is a museum collection of artefacts found at the archaeological site and is housed in the Mapungubwe Museum in Pretoria. Venda people share ancestry withLobedu people andKalanga people. They are also related toSotho-Tswana peoples andShona groups.
The Venda of today are Vhangona, Takalani (Ungani), Masingo and others. Vhangona are the original inhabitants of Venda, they are also referred as Vhongwani wapo; while Masingo and others are originally from central Africa and theEast African Rift, migrating across theLimpopo river during theBantu expansion, Venda people originated from central and east Africa, just like the other South African tribes.[6][7]
The Venda of today are descendants of many heterogeneous groupings and clans such as:
Vhadau, Vhakwevho, Vhafamadi, Vhania, Vhalea, and Vhaluvhu were collectively known as Vhangona. The Vhangona and Vhambedzi are considered to be the original inhabitants of Venda and the first people to live there.
The land of Vhangona was later settled by Karanga-Rodzvi clans from Zimbabwe: Vhatwanamba, Vhanyai, Vhatavhatsindi and Vhalembethu. Masingo and Vhalaudzi are late arrivals in Venda.
Mapungubwe was the center of a kingdom with about 5,000 people living at its center. Mapungubwe as a trade center lasted between 1220 and 1300 AD. The people of Mapungubwe mined and smelted copper, iron and gold, spun cotton, made glass and ceramics, grew millet and sorghum, and tended cattle, goats and sheep.[8]
The people of Mapungubwe had a sophisticated knowledge of the stars, andastronomy played a major role not only in their tradition and culture, but also in their day-to-day lives.[citation needed]
Mapungubwe predates the settlements atGreat Zimbabwe,Thulamela andDzata.
The Venda were recognised as a traditional royal house in 2010 and Toni Mphephu Ramabulana was the acting king from 2012-2019. In September 2016 Princess Masindi Mphephu, daughter of Tshimangadzi Mphephu (Venda Chief during 1993–1997), challenged her uncle Ramabulana for the throne. She claimed that she was not considered a candidate because of her sex.[9]
On 14 December 2016, she initially lost this battle in court when theThohoyandou High Court dismissed the case.[10]
In May 2019, however, the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the Thohoyandou High Court decision and declared that Toni Mphephu-Ramabulana's appointment as king of the Venda nation was deemed "unlawful".[11] Ramubulana has since appealed this ruling, and as of July 2020 the matter was before the Constitutional Court of South Africa.[12] The Venda have since started advocating for a resolution to the leadership dispute, with community organizations holding discussions about the importance of traditional governance structures and the need for clarity regarding royal succession rules that address gender equality in accordance with South Africa's constitution.
The following is a list of notable Venda people who have their own Wikipedia articles.
D
G
K
L
Ma-Mp
Mu
N
P
R
T
Musangwe is a traditional Venda bare-knuckle fist-fighting practice. This combat sport was developed not only for entertainment but also as a means to earn respect among peers. While the Venda culture generally discouraged violence and fighting, musangwe provided a structured outlet for resolving conflicts. When challenged to a fight, participants were obligated to accept or face consequences such as fines or physical punishment administered by community elders. Victors in these contests were typically rewarded with prizes determined by the Khosi (chief) or Vhamusanda (headman).[13][14][15]
The matches have no predetermined time limits and conclude only when one combatant concedes defeat. No medical personnel are present during these contests; instead, village elders supervise the fights to ensure adherence to traditional rules that prohibit actions such as biting or kicking. Importantly, gambling on fight outcomes is forbidden and participants compete solely for the honour of representing their village or family rather than material gain.[16]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
