Matebele is a collective term that was given to Northerners –mostly of the Zulu origins– that migrated into Lesotho (in the days of Moshoeshoe I). They were initially called “Mathebe-telele” because their shields (lithebe) were ‘unusually long’ by common standards of the day.

A group that was known as Matsitsi is believed to be the most senior of all other groups that comprise the Matebele clan. Matsitsi venerate(d) the heavens and the sky above (“leholimo le holimo-limo”). Other Matebele venerate different animals or objects. This means you may have, for example, some Matebele that revere the elephant (tlou) as its totem while others revere a different animal/object altogether.

i)

Letsitsi la Hlangisa
Ke Thole, Buzine, Maxaxane,
Mathe-a-lehloeng!
Inkosana se-phapha phezulu,
Umlambo a owelwe,
O welwa inokonjana.

ii)

Letsitsi la ha Meya!
Motho oa ma-Mtja-o-sebeo!

iii)

Letsitsi la Hlamene!
La ha Sepolo sa Molatelle!
E re Sepolo a tla ja, thope li lalise
Ka kobo tsa lithupula tsa manamane.

iv)

Motloung oa ha Sejake
Oa ma-Tsatsi, mpone;
Oa ma-Litlou-li-fula-hae,
Li hloka baalosi.

v)

Motloung oa ha Mthimkolo, Pokane!
Oa Pokane’a Sele;
Oa Solo lea sa, lea sebekela;
Oa ha Mashoabathe,
A shoabathela khomo le linaka!

vi)

Letebele la ha Sethole sa kwa Mahaba!
Lefaatše, peperana ho tsoe motho!

vii)

Letebele la Mthimkolo!
Letsolo lea sa,
Lea sibathetsa.

viii)

Letebele la ‘Maleboli!
Motho oa Nketla,
Motho oa Mok’hoanatsi,
Letebele la qeta mohlaka,
La o re shoa-a-a-a!

ix)

Letebele la Mathetsa!
La ma-Mkutho-bofu.
Motho oa ha Lerumo-le-lefubelu.

x)

Letebele la Skozana sa Mosi-oa-thunya!
Motho oa mosi-oa-thunya mohlakeng,
Oa re: thuu-thuu-thuu!
Machaba a boona.

xi)

Letebele la Mthimkolo-Pokane!
Lesolo!
“Wa ba ka Hlapho,
Nomambula akadla inkomo emzini;
Kwabo umzimkulu,
Kwa Maswabathi wa Zulu;
Na-nkomo, ne-pondo,
Yadla amalanayo,
Waba kwa Zulu laba,
Waba kwa mahloamakhulu;
Ezikereketeni saba Mhlangoaza.

xii)

Letebele la Mthimkolo!
La Pokane ka Sele,
Oa Solo lea sa, lea sibakela,
Motho oa ‘Mamashoabathe,
A shoabathela khomo ka linaka.

xiii)

Letebele la ‘Mak’homalo!
Motho oa lehe la khoho,
Motho oa Khora,
A shoe!
Motho oa Kalaka,
“Wa ka Xale-a-xaleke”!

xiv)

Letebele la Mothimokholo oa Pokane a Sele!
Solo lea sa, lea sibakela,
Amahlubi a mahle, a mangelengele,
Abantu ba zipho zimnyama ngokuqhwayana!

xv)

Letebele la Mothimokholo, Pokane,
Ke a hola, ke sebothoane!

xvi)

Letebele la Mothimokholo,
Pokane a Sele,
Tebele le a hola, le ea holimo,
Le ea holimo feela, ha le ee tlase!

xvii)

Letebele la ha Miya,
Se bolile, potlaki,
Sa bola hloho,
Sa bola bokalakata.
Kobo lipele, ngoana Khojane,
E ‘ngoe ke ea ho robala boroko,
E ‘ngoe ke ea ho apesa bosulu!