HISTORY OF THE AREA
It is understood the Nxarhuni Valley has been the home of the Xhosa from the time King Rharhabe left the kingdom of the Gcaleka (on the eastern side of the Kei River) to find a new breakaway kingdom. Negotiations between King Rharhabe and the Khoi people resulted in the region of Amathole being allocated to the amaRharhabe Kingdom, now made up of 43 chiefdom or principalities (now called tribal authorities). Of significance to Elizweni Resort is the understanding that Chief Mdushane, who was the son of Ndlambe the great Xhosa Chief, had his Great Place in the upper reaches of the Nxarhuni Valley.
Mdushane apparently played a significant role in the hostilities between the Xhosa tribes at the Battle of Amalinde and subsequently, with the British military and settlers in the Battle of Grahamstown in the 1800’s. According to Hazel Crapton (Sunburnt Queen, 2004) when Ngqika stole Ndlambe’s wife Thuthula, Mdushane joined forces with his father against Ngqika and the course of history changed at the Battle of Amalinde, where Ndlambe, with the help of his son, was able to defeat Ngqika. British troops then came to the assistance of Ngqika in demolishing Ndlambe’s Great Place and taking their cattle.
Ndlambe and Mdushane (with the support of the prophet and “war-doctor” Nxele Makana) turned on the British, attacking Grahamstown in their thousands. Many died at the battle at eGazini, the Place of Blood, although he himself survived and following further attacks, Mdushane his Great wife Nonibe and her family fled northwards across the Buffalo River to East London. It is of interest to note that Nonibe was the granddaughter of a white castaway known as Bessie, who was believed to have been shipwrecked off the Wild Coast in 1737 or thereabouts.
In 1823, Ndlambe and Mdushane gained permission from Major Somerset for their people to reoccupy the land between the Keiskamma and Buffalo Rivers. Mdushane and Nonibe, his wife lived in the Great Place in the upper reaches of the Nxarhuni, (Nahoon) River, trading with the British, until his death some years later.
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