SPEAKERS including Premier Noxolo Kiviet, former premier Reverend Makhenkesi Stofile and Bishop Mvume Dandala called for unity and peace among the AmaMpondo during the funeral of Eastern Mpondoland King Mpondom bini Sigcau.
The speakers said a lasting solu tion to leadership battles needed to be found and that solution would have to come through indigenous traditional structures and not the court of law.
The funeral was held at Lusikisiki Great Place on Saturday.
“Issues of traditional leadership need to be discussed and adjudicated by indigenous structures including royal families, not the courts of law,” said Kiviet.
“The reason we have so many problems is traditional leaders them selves run to courts of law instead of the right avenues to deal with the matter of traditional leadership.
“We need to go back to the basics and deal with our issues in the right platform,” the premier added.
She said courts were only con cerned with legal matters.
“There are elders, wise men who within the indigenous structures can adjudicate on matters of dispute,” said Kiviet.
Cooperative Governance and Tra ditional Affairs Minister Richard Baloyi said a summit on the role of traditional leadership in a democrat ic society will be held in June.
The minister said the summit was expected to ease tension not only between government and traditional leaders, but between traditional leaders themselves and the people they rule.
Baloyi said traditional leaders were using the truth sparingly when telling their genealogy or during the issues of secession.
“People are being creative on telling the truth so as to push a specific agenda more than to give a valid history,” he said.
He said traditional leadership was here to stay and should not be threatened by democratic processes.
Sigcau, 71, died of a stroke on March 25.
He had led the Eastern Mpon doland kingdom for 35 years since taking the throne in 1978. However, he had been embroiled in a legal battle with his nephew, King Zanozuko Tyelovuyo Sigcau, who claimed he was the legitimate heir to the throne.
Zanozuko was pursuing a claim which emerged following the death of King Mandlonke Sigcau in 1978. Mandlonke died childless.
The royal row over the sovereignty of AmaMpondo had been heard in a number of courts in South Africa since 1979.
Zanozuko was, in 2010 following the determination of the Nhlapo Commission, declared the king of AmaMpondo as a whole and Sigcau stripped of his kingship.
But the latter king challenged the decision in court and the matter is currently before the Constitutional Court.
He died without knowing the out come.
Since his death, the feuding fam ilies have put aside their differences and mourned together.
Both Dandala and Stofile, who is the ambassador to Germany, said the royal family and AmaMpondo nation should be united and focused on the future.
“If there are issues, the royal fam ily must sit down and come with amicable solutions,” said Dandala.
Stofile urged everyone to unite.
Zanozuko attended the funeral and contributed a cow.
Family spokeswoman Stella Sigcau said they were still mourning.
“At the right time we are going to sit down for succession,” she said.
Among those who attended the fu neral were businessman Patrice Mot sepe who donated R100000 to the funeral, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, dDeputy ministers Stella Nd abeni and Toko Xasa, UDM presi dent Bantu Holomisa and various MECs, MPs and MPLs, an ANC NEC representative and provincial lead ers.
Royals included AmaXhosa King Mpendulo Sigcawu, Western Mpon doland King Ndamase Ndamase, Zu lu Queen Mantfombi Zulu, a Swa ziland royal house delegation and representatives of the House of Tra ditional Leaders. Other Eastern Cape kings were also represented. —
Calls for AmaMpondo unity
The speakers said a lasting solu tion to leadership battles needed to be found and that solution would have to come through indigenous traditional structures and not the court of law.
The funeral was held at Lusikisiki Great Place on Saturday.
“Issues of traditional leadership need to be discussed and adjudicated by indigenous structures including royal families, not the courts of law,” said Kiviet.
“The reason we have so many problems is traditional leaders them selves run to courts of law instead of the right avenues to deal with the matter of traditional leadership.
“We need to go back to the basics and deal with our issues in the right platform,” the premier added.
She said courts were only con cerned with legal matters.
“There are elders, wise men who within the indigenous structures can adjudicate on matters of dispute,” said Kiviet.
Cooperative Governance and Tra ditional Affairs Minister Richard Baloyi said a summit on the role of traditional leadership in a democrat ic society will be held in June.
The minister said the summit was expected to ease tension not only between government and traditional leaders, but between traditional leaders themselves and the people they rule.
Baloyi said traditional leaders were using the truth sparingly when telling their genealogy or during the issues of secession.
“People are being creative on telling the truth so as to push a specific agenda more than to give a valid history,” he said.
He said traditional leadership was here to stay and should not be threatened by democratic processes.
Sigcau, 71, died of a stroke on March 25.
He had led the Eastern Mpon doland kingdom for 35 years since taking the throne in 1978. However, he had been embroiled in a legal battle with his nephew, King Zanozuko Tyelovuyo Sigcau, who claimed he was the legitimate heir to the throne.
Zanozuko was pursuing a claim which emerged following the death of King Mandlonke Sigcau in 1978. Mandlonke died childless.
The royal row over the sovereignty of AmaMpondo had been heard in a number of courts in South Africa since 1979.
Zanozuko was, in 2010 following the determination of the Nhlapo Commission, declared the king of AmaMpondo as a whole and Sigcau stripped of his kingship.
But the latter king challenged the decision in court and the matter is currently before the Constitutional Court.
He died without knowing the out come.
Since his death, the feuding fam ilies have put aside their differences and mourned together.
Both Dandala and Stofile, who is the ambassador to Germany, said the royal family and AmaMpondo nation should be united and focused on the future.
“If there are issues, the royal fam ily must sit down and come with amicable solutions,” said Dandala.
Stofile urged everyone to unite.
Zanozuko attended the funeral and contributed a cow.
Family spokeswoman Stella Sigcau said they were still mourning.
“At the right time we are going to sit down for succession,” she said.
Among those who attended the fu neral were businessman Patrice Mot sepe who donated R100000 to the funeral, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, dDeputy ministers Stella Nd abeni and Toko Xasa, UDM presi dent Bantu Holomisa and various MECs, MPs and MPLs, an ANC NEC representative and provincial lead ers.
Royals included AmaXhosa King Mpendulo Sigcawu, Western Mpon doland King Ndamase Ndamase, Zu lu Queen Mantfombi Zulu, a Swa ziland royal house delegation and representatives of the House of Tra ditional Leaders. Other Eastern Cape kings were also represented. —
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