House of Ngonidzashe
| House of Ngonidzashe Imba yaNgonidzashe | |
|---|---|
| Royal House | |
| File:CoatOfArmsOfRwizikuru.png | |
| Country | File:RwizikuruFlag.PNG Rwizikuru |
| Founded | December 1964 |
| Founder | Izibongo Ngonidzashe |
| Current head | Munashe Ngonidzashe |
| Titles | Mambo of Rwizikuru |
| Style(s) | His Most Faithful Majesty |
| Estate(s) | Imba yoRudzi, Mutopo Farm, Old Palace Museum |
| Cadet branches | House of Mkwananzi |
The House of Ngonidzashe (Rwizi: Imba yaNgonidzashe) is the reigning royal house of Rwizikuru, having ruled over Rwizikuru as a monarchy since the passage of the Basic Law of Rwizikuru in 1964, although it had ruled over Rwizikuru in some shape or form since its independence from Estmere in 1946.
Etymology
The name Ngonidzashe means "God's mercy," and was believed to be first given to Mutupo Ngonidzashe by High Estmerish missionaries in the 1860s. While this name is a somewhat common surname across Rwizikuru, with regards to the House of Ngonidzashe, all members bearing the name have originated in present-day Vongai, either directly or by being born from a descendant of someone born in Vongai.
Background
The House of Ngonidzashe, despite official claims that it was descended from the last Emperors of the Rwizi Empire which ruled over much of present-day Rwizikuru from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries, likely originated in Vongai as a chiefly family, who in the post Rwizi Empire period, would rule over a small area, centred around Vongai, until Riziland began to expand towards the interior, with treaties being signed with Mutupo Ngonidzashe. Mutupo Ngonidzashe had sixteen children, of which four sons survived infancy, including Mazomba Ngonidzashe, born in 1879, and Munonzwa Ngonidzashe, born in 1897.
Munonzwa's eldest son, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would enter the colonial militia in 1939, and over the decades would rise in the military: by the mid-1940s, he became part of the officers corps, and would rise through the ranks into the independent Rwizikuran army. By 1960, he became part of the general staff under Vudzijena Nhema's administration, but due to Nhema's unpopularity, he led a coup in 1963 to depose him while Nhema was attending a conference, followed by a second one in 1964 to remove Pierre-Adarchir Niyomzima from power, and creating the National Salvation Conucil to undo his predecessor's policies.
While many of his predecessor's policies were ended under the National Salvation Council's rule, Izibongo Ngonidzashe would centralise power within the National Salvation Council, until by 1968, having purged all of his rivals, he declared the establishment of a Rwizikuran monarchy, with himself as King. Thus, the House of Ngonidzashe was established, with agnatic primogeniture being used as a basis for inheritance to the Rwizikuran throne. The descendants of Mazomba Ngonidzashe, would be recognised as a cadet branch of the House of Ngonidzashe, called the House of Mazomba, after the first name of Mazomba Ngonidzashe, who would become Chief of Vongai after the death of Mutupo Ngonidzashe in 1903.
Members
As per the Basic Law of Rwizikuru, all male descendants of Munonzwa Ngonidzashe are eligible to inherit the Rwizikuran throne. Thus, according to the House of Ngonidzashe Act of 1965, passed by Izibongo Ngonidzashe, all members of the House of Ngonidzashe include:
- Any male descendant of Munonzwa Ngonidzashe via the male line, excluding those disqualified, and
- Any daughters of a male member of the House of Ngonidzashe
However, if a daughter does not marry a member of the House of Ngonidzashe, their children would not be considered part of the House of Ngonidzashe, as membership requires the father to be descended from Munonzwa Ngonidzashe via the male line. In addition, the daughter is not part of the line of succession.