TRADITIONAL leaders in Matabeleland and members of the Khumalo clan are reportedly planning to revive the Ndebele kingdom by September next year, after missing a deadline to do so this year.
BY SILAS NKALA
Organising secretary of Mthwakazi kaMzilikazi Cultural Association, Nhlanhla Khumalo yesterday said elders from the region were currently consulting on the issue, but declined to disclose more details.
“Yes, it is true that something is being done along those lines,” he said.
“Elders are still conducting meetings to map strategies on how to come up with a king. They are preparing for that and the plans are that by September next year a Ndebele King will be announced and installed.”
The Khumalo elders and chiefs in the region were said to be involved in identifying an heir from the royal family.
The Khumalos are currently engaged in preparations for the celebration of Mzilikazi’s life set for September 5 at Mhlahlandlela memorial site, 22km south of Bulawayo.
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Khumalo said after this year’s celebrations, there would be programmes to develop the Mhlahlandlela site to enable the erection of necessary traditional structures and buildings in a bid to restore the kingship.
The celebrations are expected to be graced by chiefs from Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa and thousands of Matabele cultural enthusiasts.
Last year, King Mzilikazi’s descendants vowed to have enthroned a monarch by this month, but it seems their efforts have stalled.
No explanation was given on why this move had failed.
Mhlahlandlela was one of the major military towns of the Matabele kingdom where the Matabele warriors assembled in large numbers and declared their patriotism to the Ndebele king.
King Mzilikazi founded the then powerful and diverse rainbow Matabele Kingdom composed of various tribes in what is known as Matabeleland today after fleeing King Shaka in modern day KwaZulu-Natal during Mfecane.
King Mzilikazi, known in Southern Africa for his military prowess, died on September 9 1868.
After his death, his son Lobengula, assumed the throne and led the Matabele Kingdom until he was defeated by colonialists following the Anglo-Ndebele war of 1893 and 1894. The coronation of King Lobengula in 1870 was attended by more than 10 000 Matabele warriors at the Mhlahlandlela site.
The last known Ndebele king was Lobengula, who “disappeared” along the great Zambezi River in 1894 while being pursued by colonialists.
