To me, Xhosas are like the Nguni nation that didn't get the memo. Swazis are known allies of the Zulu, so are the Ndebele, even Shangaan & Ngoni hold similar relations with the Zulu. The Ndebele & Swazi have even gone to war against adversaries alongside the Zulu. All these groups show fraternity with the Zulu except the Xhosa. This, obviously, has a root & history. Much of Xhosa history, before the 1800s is unknown. During the 1800s is when the Xhosa received many "asylum seekers" from the period of turmoil happening in the land of their northern neighbours, the Zulu. This is when Xhosa history began being recorded using European & modern methods. The Xhosa were initially said to have lived between the Sundays River & Mthatha River... after colonisation, the Xhosa language spread among the Mpondo & tribes living north of the Umzimvubu River. This likely being due to Xhosas being used by British colonialists to spread Christianity & to halt Zulu expansion.
What people often forget is that there were Zulu-speaking tribes living all the way to Umtamvuna River... in fact, some Mbo tribes (i. e. the Hlubi & Nhlangwini) claim all the land from Thukela (Tugela) River up to Umzimvubu River... this land was reconquered by King Shaka during his reign. This was likely not to take it from the Mbo tribes but perhaps to re-affirm established rule - in the wake of the British arrival - as the Zulu & Mbo tribes were said to be good allies. You could even argue that the land between Umtamvuna & Umzimvubu River was never under Xhosa rule.
Now, the tribes that were fleeing from the north (Mfecane) arrived in Xhosa territory & had to assimilate with the Xhosa way of life which was probably not hard to do as the Xhosa way of life was changing due to European colonisation itself. So it may have been easier to forge unity in the wake of the whites arrival. While you get Xhosas who love English culture so much so that they even change their surnames to European surnames, you equally get some Xhosa with very backward, hateful & unusually aggressive mannerisms when compared to rural KZN. I think this bipolarity in the Xhosa community is due to their tumultuous history which came about due to European colonisation & fleeing Nguni tribes from the north.
The admiration & jealousy of whiteness that the Xhosa have is visible when they want to play formerly white sports (i. e. rugby & cricket) more than typically black spots & further forcing their own to be the first black captains of the national teams of South Africa. Many Xhosas seeing rugby as an opportunity to go to KZN (to play for the Natal Sharks) & dominate in South Africa. Literally forcing themselves into the Sharks team & often trying to take the place of often more talented Zulu rugby players. Even in cricket, they'll force average Xhosa cricket players into the national team to be the "first black captain" of the national team. Their pride ends at their mediocre players playing in the South African national team - few Xhosas seem to have pride in their heritage. This "bulldozing" by Xhosas happens in football too. The Xhosa are not as good at predominantly black sports like soccer, basketball & indigenous games for some reason despite having the second largest population in South Africa but this still won't stop them from trying to force their often below average sport's players into South Africa's national teams. Some might find this comical because of how incredibly envious & jealous it seems but I find it very disturbing. Particularly because they are so spiteful & resentful of Zulu people & other groups yet insist on living among these groups & being a nuisance to them. Don't get me wrong, I get that some Xhosa go to "foreign"/non-Xhosa places & learn the languages spoken in those places & how to get along with the people there but an uncomfortably large percentage of Xhosa people are not good visitors in KZN & (so I've heard) in Gauteng.
Personally, I think the Xhosa need to find themselves & accept that nothing Zulu, Swazi or Ndebele is theirs. If this means isolating themselves for a certain period, so be it. I long await a time where Xhosas would embrace the self-determination spirit that other Nguni nations have but it just never happens. I hear of Bulawayo - the City of Kings & Joshua Nkomo from the Ndebele, I hear of the Swazis being the only absolute monarchy left in Africa & the Zulu continuing traditions that enrich the nation... but of the Xhosa, I hear of sellouts, people drinking water with animals, stark poverty & rarely something of good moral character from a Xhosa. The Zulus are claimed to be villians & violent but, at least, there is some honour & a way of doing things amongst my Zulu countrymen. With Xhosas, you almost always expect the worst scum on Earth to tell YOU what YOU are doing wrong (while you're doing nothing wrong & certainly nothing as criminal as them). They are so passive aggressive & xenophobic towards other tribes in South Africa, it's almost comical.
So if I were to say anything to the Xhosa nation as a whole it's that their nation has a psychological problem that no one has assessed or examined. Former president Zuma tried to help by installing a Xhosa monarch only for this monarch to take a backseat on Xhosa matters. One may even ask "What good will these Xhosas ever do?" Except, maybe, breed pigs. Xhosa society does not have upstanding male figures of true character like most African nations, instead they have truly selfish male figures (e. g. Nelson Mandela) who care more about what they want rather than the good of the Xhosa nation. Even when they do have upstanding male role models within the Xhosa community, Xhosas tend to ridicule & mock these individuals to a point that these individuals may even become reluctant to do anything for the Xhosa nation as a whole. I really have no solutions to the Xhosa problem & really shouldn't care as I am not really a Xhosa. I just wanted to point out the problems some Xhosa may not see in themselves which will hopefully, warn other ethnicities & help Xhosas understand why they are not as liked as much they think they are.
P.S. I expect backlash, I don't care. But I feel I had to say this. If not for others, then to simply get it off my chest.
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