AmaMpondomise
The Mpondomise people, also called Ama-Mpondomise, are a Xhosa-speaking people. Their traditional homeland has been in the contemporary era Eastern Cape province of South Africa, during apartheid they were located both in the Ciskei and Transkei region. Like other separate Xhosa-speaking kingdoms such as Aba-Thembu and Ama-Mpondo, they speak Xhosa and are at times considered as part of the Xhosa people. The Ama-Mpondomise form part of the Abase-Mbo Nguni ethnic groups of South Africa. The formal establishment of the ethnic groups as a separate nation from the other local Bantu peoples or their Nguni cousins is estimated around 13th century. The Mpondomise encountered colonists migrating further inland and eastwards from the Cape of Good Hope. As a result of colonial conquest, a majority of ama-Mpondomise speak Xhosa, with a minority who are bilingual speaking Mpondomise as their home language and Xhosa as a second language. Some people view Mpondomise as a dialect of Xhosa. However, the language is dying out. History Origins The name Mpondomise, which means "to hold your horns upright", is a descriptor for the mountainous lands that the ethnic group occupied. It is also to signify the fighting strength of the nation. The Mpondomise originate in traditional