Giyani was established during the 1960s as a capital City of Gazankulu, before the 1960s, the land where Giyani is situated belonged to Homu Royal Family. The name Giyani has been named by Hosi SDW Nxumalo. The Risinga Community came led by their headman 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 Njhakanjhaka. While still at Elim, Chabalala was an Induna to Hosi Njhakanjhaka.

The Risinga community moved to Giyani, along with the other Chabalala headman, Hosi Siyandhani Chabalala and the Mapayeni Community (under Headman Mapayeni Chabalala who settled at the bottom of Rhida hills) during the 1880s, in search of pastures for their livestock and settled on the foothills of Man'ombe Mountain, which belongs to Man’ombe royal family, similar to the lands they left behind at Elim/Shirley. Chief Man'ombe welcomed Risinga family and the Chabalala family. He placed Risinga at the place now known as Bendstore and Chabalala at the place now known as Homu 14B. The Man'ombe family owned the whole land until the apartheid laws favoured the majority of people and gave the land to the Chabalala family and recognised them as chief. 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 Man’ombe Mountain belonged to Man’ombe family who occupied the Ndauland called 'Madzime-N'ombe'and still is although it was wrongfully given 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 Chief Minister of Gazankulu were built on what used to be the Chief's 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 relocated Homu Block 14 and Makoxa Village with their chief, Hosi Homu Chabalala.

Upon their arrival at the foothills of Man’ombe 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 Mabunda Tribe, under chief/ Hosi Ngove, was situated not far from the Risinga Community, but was not their chief and chief Ngove 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 Community. All the lands where the town of Giyani is situated, and surrounding lands belonged to the Risinga Community but the apartheid Government wrongly allocated that land to the Mabunda tribe and banished the Risinga Community into the wilderness at Homu Block 14.