Zongendawa Jere or Inkosi Ya Makhosi M'mbelwa IV (3 July 1952 - February 2013) was the King of the Ngoni and Tumbuka people in Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania. He passed away in February 2013 at Mwaiwathu Private Hospital in Malawi's commercial city, Blantyre, where he was diagnosed with diabetes attack and hypertension.^[1][2] At his death, he was 60 years old.^[3][4][5][6] His son, M'Mbelwa V, inherited the crown in 2013.^[7]

Zongendawa Jere was born in Mzimba district on 3 July 1952 and was crowned as Inkosi Ya Makosi M'Mbelwa IV in February 1984 by Chief Mpezeni of Zambia at his home village in Edingeni, Mzimba. He attended Edingeni Primary School in Mzimba before being selected to Mzuzu Government Secondary School to do his secondary school in 1976. Prior to being installed as king, he worked for Press Holdings Limited and Shire Valley cattle Ranch in the district of Chikwawa where he was an administrator.^[8][3] He had four children of whom three were girls and one boy named Mkhosi Jere who later inherited the crown.^[9][3]

In the early 2013, Jere was diagnosed with diabetes attack and hypertension. He was taken to Mwaiwathu Hospital in Blantyre for better treatment. The burial arrangements took place on Saturday at Edingeni in Mzimba. His body was put to state at State lodge in Ntunthama Area 3 in Lilongwe for public to pay their final respects. On Thursday, the body went to Edingeni where he was laid to rest. After his death, notable people who paid tribute were the former president of Malawi, Joyce Banda, and the late former Vice president, Justin Malewezi.^[3] Other notable attenders were Chewa Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi from Zambia who brought along with him Gulewamkulu and Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani from Ntcheu district.^[1]

Aupson Thole, the secretary A of Mzimba Heritage Association (Mziha) also paid his tributes and later commented that the king's rest in peace as he will be being remember through museum remains.^[6]

Jere is known as an advocate who fought hard for the government not to split Mzimba district as it was the biggest district in the country, into two.^[3] He also established a cultural act called Umthetho Cultural Festival^[10] and chose Hora as the venue.^[3] The event spread into Zambia and was hosted by Inkosi ya Makosi Mpezeni of Zambia, Inkosi ya Makosi Zulu Gama of Tanzania, representatives of the Mandebele ethnic group from Zimbabwe and some from KwaZulu Natal in South Africa.^[3] Jere also was responsible of holding a major cultural event at Elangeni in Mzimba in 1988 and the other at Mabiri.^[3]

During his time, Jere served as the chairperson for the Malawi Chiefs Council, and chairperson for chiefs in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc). He was also the chairperson for the Malawi Broadcasting Station (MBC), as well as for Tobacco Control Commission and the Roads Authority.^[6]

The origins of the Ngoni can be traked down in South Africa in the early years of the nineteenth century. The first contact of M'Mbelwa kings with the Livingstonia Church mission in Malawi was in the early 1878. This was the time when they had left South Africa due to tribal wars with the Zulu king.^[11]

Mbelwa I was the son of Zwangendaba, who at the time, married a Swazi woman, Munene. He was born at Mabili in Malawi in 1840. At the age of 5, he lost his father and after a succession dispute following his father's death, his supporters went back to Malawi where they stayed.^[11]