Giyani

Giyani is a north-eastern town in the Limpopo province,

South Africa and a former capital of the then Gazankulu
bantustan. Giyani is situated at the intersection between
R578 road (South Africa) and R81. It is located in the
heart of Limpopo Bushveld, on the northern bank of the
Klein (Little) Letaba River west of Kruger National Park.
Situated in the northern portion of former Gazankulu,
Giyani was established in the 1960s as the administrative
centre for the Tsonga people. Giyani is now the administrative capital of Mopani District Municipality. Giyani
lies 470 km north east of Johannesburg by road, 104 km
from Tzaneen and 105 km from the Phalaborwa Gate of
the Kruger National Park.

Siyandhani Chabalala, during the 1880s, in search of pastures for their livestock and settled on the foothills of
Manombe Mountain, similar to the lands they left behind
at Elim/Shirley. At Elim District, the Risinga community
left behind the other Chabalala headman, Nwa-Mhandzi
Chabalala, who remained at Levubu river valley until the
1960s, when he was forcefully removed in terms of Group
Areas Act and dumped at Bungeni village and became
a headman of Hosi Bungeni. Headman Nwa-Mhandzi
Chabalala is the only Chabalala headman left today at
Elim district and has a big village called eka-Nwamhandzi
under Hosi Bungeni.
The entire land on the foothills of Manombe Mountain
belonged to the Risinga Community until they were uprooted by the Apartheid Government to make way for the
establishment of the town of Giyani. The Old Parliament
Buildings at Giyani and the old Ministerial Houses as well
as the Palace of the then Chief Minister of Gazankulu
were built on what used to be the Chiefs Kraal and headquarters of the Risinga Community. Across the main
road, the Risinga Community used to drive their herds
of cattle for grazing at a place known today as Giyani
Golf course. Giyani Section E, Section A, Section D1
and D2 and CBD of Giyani, known as Bendstore were
villages of the Risinga Community. The Risinga Community was forcefully removed from their land during
the 1960s in order to make way for a new Capital of
Gazankulu and were dumped at place known today as
Homu Block 14 and Makoxa Village with their chief,
Hosi Homu Chabalala. Upon their arrival at the foothills
of Monombe mountain, they became independent and
had their own chief, Hosi Homu Chabalala, he ruled the
Homu Tribe which included the Risinga Community until
they were expelled from Giyani during the consolidation
of Gazankulu homeland. The name Risinga was replaced
by 'Giyani'and the Risinga Community lost their land.
The only thing that remain of the Risinga Community was
a High School at Giyani section D2, named Risinga High
School, the school was named after the Risinga chieftainship that was destroyed during the 1960s by the apartheid
Government.

The 'Giyani Ward' at Elim Hospital was named after

Giyani, the ward was opened in 1969 and since the rst
Gazankulu Legislative Assembly was convened at the
same time (1969) when the new ward at Elim Hospital was being opened, the Gazankulu Government therefore named the ward at Elim Hospital 'Giyani Ward' in
honour of the Gazankulu Capital city. Six years later in
1975, the Gazankulu Government named another newly
built Ward at Elim Hospital 'Valdezia Ward' in honour of
the rst Swiss Mission Station in Valdezia, 10 km east of
Waterval township. The Swiss Missionaries did mission
work amongst the Tsonga people in the Hlanganani district of the former Gazankulu homeland. Later, the Swiss
missionaries expanded its mission work to a large Tsonga
settlement at Masana in Bushbuckridge and at Shiluvana
settlement near Tzaneen.

History

Giyani was established during the 1960s as a capital City

of Gazankulu, before the 1960s, the land where Giyani
is situated belonged to the Risinga Community, led by
their chief Hosi Homu Chabalala. The Risinga Community (under their headman Chabalala) originally came
from the Elim district, next to the township of Waterval,
above Elim Hospital, where they lived under the authority
and were subjects of Paramount chief / Hosi Njhakanjhaka of Elim. Before moving to Giyani during the
1880s, the Risinga Community were subject of Chief/
Hosi Njhakanjhaka and occupied the land where the village of Shirley is situated today and were falling under
Elim / Shirley Tribal Authority under Hosi Njhakanhjaka. While still at Elim, Chabalala was an Induna to
Hosi Njhakanhjaka. The Risinga community moved to
Giyani, along with the other Chabalala headman, Hosi

The Mabunda Tribe, under chief/ Hosi Ngobe, was situated not far from the Risinga Community, but was not
their chief and chief Ngobe or the Mabunda Tribe did
not have Authority over the Risinga Community, the
Risinga Community had their own independent chief,
Chief Risinga. After the expulsion and removal of the
Risinga Community in the 1960s, the Mabunda Tribe
was allocated land that traditionally belong to the Risinga

9 EDUCATION

Community. All the lands where the town of Giyani is September and March, while the winter season is from
situated and surrounding lands belonged to the Risinga April to August.
Community but the apartheid Government wrongly allocated that land to the Mabunda tribe and banished the
Risinga Community into the wilderness at Homu Block 5 Culture
14.

Land Claim

The Risinga Community, under Hosi Homu Chabalala

successfully claimed back their land, which includes;
Giyani Section E, Section A, Section D1 and D2 and
some parts of Section F, the whole of Manombe Mountain nature reserve and the entire Giyani CBD was given
back to Hosi Homu Chabalala under the settlements
scheme with Government. While the other Chabalala
headman, Hosi Siyandhanim, successfully claimed some
parts of Giyani Section E and section F and the western portion of Giyani CBD and the koppies or hills at a
place known today as Kremetart suburban of Giyani. The
claim by Hosi Ngove of the Mabunda clan that Siyandhani is his junior is nonsense because Tsonga people DO
NOT have super chiefs, all Tsonga headman are INDEPEDENT and are NOT subjected to any higher authority,
something that the Nhlapo Commission found to be true,
all Tsonga headman throughout South Africa are INDEPEDENT from rule by other chiefs, so Siyandhani is an
INDEPEDENT headman and Ngove does NOT have authority over the village of Siyandhani.

Demographics

Giyani is composed of the following areas (in alphabetical order): B9, Babangu, Bambeni, Basani, Bode, Bode,
Dingamazi, Dzingidzingi, Dzumeri, Gawula, Giyani,
Town, (Sections: A, D1, D2, E, F), Gon'on'o, Guwela,
Hlaneki, Homu, Jimu Nghalalume, Khakhala, Khaxani,
Kheyi, Kremetart, Loloka, Mageva, Makhuva, Makoxa,
Maphata, Maswanganyi, Matsotsosela, Mavalani,
Mavhuza, Mayephu, Mbatlo, Mbawula, Mbhedhle,
Mghonghoma, Mhlava-Willem, Mpepule, Muxiyani,
Muyexe, Mzilela, N'wa-Dzekudzeku, N'wa-Mankena,
N'wa-Marhanga, Ndhambi, Ngove, Nkomo, Noblehoek, Nsavulani, Phalawubeni, Sikhunyani, Siyandhani,
Thomo, Xamfana, Xawela, Xikhumba, Xikukwana,
Ximange, Ximausa, Xitlakati, Xivulani.

Climate

Most residents of Giyani speak Xitsonga as their rst language. The Tsonga women perform the xibelani dance
and the men enjoy mpuluto and makhwaya. The Tsonga
people also engage in a custom dance called mchongolo.
Xibelani is an African skirt designed to make the wearers
hips look bigger so the shaking can be more apparent.
The Tsonga people have their own distinct music when
the xibelani dance is performed. The staple diet in Giyani
is maize porridge (vuswa or pap in Afrikaans and rice often eaten with meat, chicken and vegetables (matsavu).

6 Sports
Giyani Stadium is the home of National First Division
club Dynamos Football Club. Giyani has been home to
Giyani United and Giyani Classic.
On the athletics front the 100 metre sprint ace Peter
Manero Ngobeni stayed in Giyani section A during the
1980s.

7 Economy
Giyanis economy is predominately rural-based. Cattle
ranching and producing maize, peanuts, tomatoes, potatoes, mangoes and bananas forms the backbone of farming. With the economic boom, Giyani has now become a
major retail and entertainment centre for the local population. Modern shopping centres, with all the well-known
chain stores presented, have vastly uplifted the local trade.

8 Residential areas
Giyani is having 89 villages, 9 Tribal Authorities of
Tsonga and 2 Tribal Authorities of Balobedu. The large
part of the towns open land is not developed or settled.
Giyani Section A, D1, D2, E,F and Kremetart are auent
residential areas in the town. There are new settlements
closer to town but falling under Tribal Authorities such as
Risinga view and Church view - Homu block 15 .

9 Education

Giyani is situated within the sub-tropical zone. It can be

very hot in summer, reaching 38 C in summer and 22 The people of Giyani value education, however, there
C maximum during winter. Winters are mild during the are independent schools in the town, Khanyisa Educaday and cold during the nights. Rainfall season is between tion Centre, Nkwangulatilo Education centre, High Qual-

3
ity Education Centre. For higher education, the youth by car can also shorten their itenarary by using this new
of Giyani typically attend the University of Limpopo, route.
the University of Venda, the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Tshwane University of Technology,
University of Johannesburg, University of the Western 12 References
Cape, University of Cape Town as well as the North-West
University in Potchefstroom and the Vaal University of [1] Main Place Giyani. Census 2011.
Technology.

10

Road

The R81 is the major road that runs through Giyani. It

links Giyani to Polokwane and Malamulele and also joins
the R524 to Punda Maria entrance gate of the Kruger National Park This route also joins the N1 to Pretoria and
Johanesburg in Polokwane, next to the Mall of the North.

11

Tourism

Giyanis location in the warm African Bushveld makes it

attractive for both local and international visitors. The
Giyani Golf course is home to zebra, girae, bushbuck
and some other herbivores. Viewing of these animals has
not yet been commercialized.
At the moment, there are a number of Bed and Breakfast and Guest House facilities for tourists. A few are:
Riverside Guest House, Xisaka Bed and Breakfast, Tihosi
guest house, Elridge Mountain Lodge, Rosanna guest
house,Nwayitelo Lodge and Mopani Guest House.
Limpopo Lodge (formerly Giyani Hotel) is situated in
the centre of town and managed by the Oasis Group.
Man'ombe Nature Reserve is located 6 km east of Giyani.
Giyani also borders Kruger National Park on the Western side of the Northern Region. Historically, Giyani had
no entry-point to the Kruger National Park even though
Giyani shares a long border with Kruger National Park.
The plan to open a new gate at Giyani has been approved.
The gate which is known as Shangoni Gate will be opened
at Muyexe Village, 30 km North-East of Giyani town.
This gate will bring much-needed development in the
nearby villages of Muyexe, Mahonisi and Mtititi where
unemployment is 80%. These villages have been historically poor, despite the fact that they are bordering one
of the world best safari destinations. There are plans
to develop state of the art conference facilities, sporting facilities and agricultural projects around the villages
of Muyexe. Some of the project are sponsored by the
Department of Rural Development. The upgrading of
road from gravel to tar road is also underway between
the villages of Muyexe and the town of Giyani. The road
from Shangoni gate to Shingwezi Rest Camp will be constructed at a later stage. The new gate will cut the distance
from Giyani to Shingwezi by almost 80 km. The visitors
who want to visit Shingwezi Rest Camp from Gauteng

13

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TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

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Giyani Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giyani?oldid=744138240 Contributors: Bearcat, CALR, Rich Farmbrough, Jjron, Velella,
Tabletop, Toussaint, Rjwilmsi, FlaBot, Tedder, Valentinian, YurikBot, Gaius Cornelius, Alex43223, Bdell555, Lawrenceonline, That
Guy, From That Show!, SmackBot, Mairibot, Chris the speller, Gracenotes, Zaian, Bolivian Unicyclist, Ser Amantio di Nicolao, Khazar,
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Salvio giuliano, John of Reading, Orphan Wiki, Wikipelli, ClueBot NG, Gareth Grith-Jones, Mnike1, Widr, Domainuse, Mhlengwe,
Wasbeer, BlueLinkAddict, Hurricanefan25, Aisteco, BattyBot, Makhensa, Aliwal2012, Mogism, Jodosma, Phindym, I Benny Makamu,
MapengOs and Anonymous: 91

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