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. 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. Maize was introduced to the Tsonga people by Vasco Da Gama in 1497, Vasco Da Gama stayed briefly 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. Both the Tsonga and the Venda named the new staple food Vuswa (Tsonga), Vhuswa (Venda). Prior to trade between the Tsonga and the Venda, the Venda used to eat sorghum as stample food, but with the arrival of the Tsonga, the Venda ceased to eat sorghum as staple food and started eating maize meal, which the Tsonga introduced to Venda. 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. 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. The Tsonga traded goods with both the Venda and the Pedi between the years 1554-1800 but they did not settled in these areas. They established 'trade routes' that included the whole eastern Transvaal and the northern Transvaal. Between 1554-1800, the Tsonga people started to leave the east coast and began trading with the interior. Tsonga Trading Posts in the interior įrom the year 1554 when Lourenco Marques, a Portuguese trader settled on the land of the Tsonga and began to trade between Portugal and Africa. History of Hosi Njhakanjhaka: Headman of Spelonken When Apartheid ended in 1994, the area was shifted to Makhado Local Municipality and now forms part of Vhembe District Municipality.
This western portion of Gazankulu was known as the Tsonga "finger" during the 1950s until the late 1960s by the Apartheid officials of the Department of Bantu Affairs and Development. Prior to the Swiss encounter, Chief Njhakanjhaka exercised authority in the area. The Hlanganani Regional Court for the District of Hlanganani (wrongly called "Waterval Magistrate Courts"), the historic Elim Hospital, Waterval Post Office, Police Station, Hubyeni Shopping Centre, and the new Elim Mall are all situated in Waterval. Waterval also forms part of Njhakanjhaka Traditional Authority. Waterval was proclaimed a township in 1980 by the former Gazankulu homeland, in the district of Hlanganani. Nkhensani Tribal Authority's offices are based at Chavani Village, behind the township of Waterval.
These villages are collectively known as Nkhensani Tribal Authority, under Chief Njhakanjhaka's son, Hosi Chavani. Because of Apartheid policies of the 1960s, the land of Njhakanjhaka 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 Njhakanjhaka's first born son, Chief Chavani Njhakanjhaka Mukhari. The Njhakanjhaka 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. Waterval includes Njhakanjhaka, 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.Īs 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). 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.
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