In Africa, people's genealogy tends to be lost in the mists of time. I have been seeking, little by little, in a haphazard way, to understand my wife's roots. On her mother's side, she is fully Xhosa. But the elders say that she is an Mpondo -- which is a people who have "distinct roots". She may therefore be an assimilated Xhosa on her mother's side. In the next two weeks, in fact, I plan to visit one of the elders, to ask him why they say she is an Mpondo. He is now in his late 80's. On her father's side, her grandfather was of Afrikaner descent, while her grandmother was of Khoikhoi descent -- her father recently showed me the Khoikhoi family heirlooms. She is likely also of Xhosa descent on her father's side, since the Khoikhoi came to a tragic end in the area. This account may be revised in due course, as I continue the quest ...
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