An Eastern Cape-born and raised royal, Crown Prince Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo, direct descendant of King Lobengula Khumalo, son of revered King Mzilikazi, who is the founder of Matebeleland, will ascend to the throne of the Ndebele Kingdom in Zimbabwe next month.
The coronation in Bulawayo on March 3 will seal the quest for the restoration of the Ndebele kingship, lost 124 years ago after the death of Bulelani’s great-great grandfather King Lobengula Khumalo.
The Khumalo clan named the now 33-year-old prince as heir apparent to the Ndebele crown, ending speculation over the seat which has remained vacant since King Lobengula was overthrown by colonial settlers in 1893.
On Saturday, Ndebele royals, led by the crown prince and his uncle Prince Hlabezulu Khumalo, paid a courtesy visit to AmaXhosa King Mpendulo Zwelonke Sigcawu at his Nqadu Great Place near Willowvale.
They came to thank King Sigcawu for keeping their heir within his kingdom until it was time for him to become king.
There are many Lobengula royal family members residing in the Eastern Cape, especially in Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth and Port Alfred.
“We also came to Nqadu to invite King Zwelonke to join us at the coronation,” said Hlabezulu.
The kingship became defunct in 1894, following the mysterious disappearance of King Lobengula.
Coloniser Cecil John Rhodes sent Lobengula’s sons to study in Grahamstown.
“For more than a century, the Ndebele nation has been without a king. After years of research, academics and indigenous experts traced Prince Bulelani as grandson and the rightful heir to Lobengula’s crown.
“He was living in Port Elizabeth under the auspices of the AmaXhosa Kingdom,” said Khumalo.
The king-designate was born and bred in Port Elizabeth and had been a soldier within the SANDF until 2014, when he moved to Pretoria.
Khumalo said the restoration of the kingdom would bring back the dignity that was stripped by the colonialists.
“Previously there have been many attempts to try and revive the Lobengula kingship, but these have failed because the colonialists did not want people to unite and be galvanised under the leadership of a king because they understood how powerful Mzilikazi’s kingship was. His managed to unite more than 16 tribes into one mighty nation,” said Hlabezulu.
He said the nation had lost their culture, heritage, identity and pride in many different ways.
The crown prince has promised to work with the people of Zimbabwe.
“Naturally, there is a shock when one is summoned by the elders of one’s nation to ascend to a throne ... and take over where my forefather left off. A huge responsibility has been bestowed upon me, but my ancestors and God will guide me,” said the crown prince.
King Sigcawu expressed his delight at the restoration of the Lobengula kingship and the honour at being invited to the coronation where he will have some responsibilities.
“This is a humbling gesture indeed and proved that we took good care of the crown prince of AmaNdebele while he was in our land.
“Reviving the kingship of Lobengula is such a big milestone and historical epoch and a joy to all the monarchs of Africa,” said Sigcawu.
Contralesa secretary-general Zolani Mkiva and Sigcawu’s adviser said: “This will help dismantle the walls of xenophobia and tribalism.
“All boundaries and borders are artificially erected by colonialists to divide African people.”
Bulelani is the fourth generation of Lobengula. He is the son of Prince Mncedisi Lobengula Khumalo, born of Prince Fana Lobengula, born of Prince Rhodes Mpanga Lobengula, born of Prince Njobe Khumalo, son of King Lobengula Khumalo, born of King Mzilikazi kaMatshobana. He is unmarried and without any children.
Hlabezulu said although they had tried for many decades to revive the kingship, the political environment had not allowed for it.
“It was only in 1997 that the crusade to restore King Lobengula’s kingship gained momentum,” he said. Bulelani was publicly announced as crown prince last year.
— lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Crown prince to be Ndebele king
The coronation in Bulawayo on March 3 will seal the quest for the restoration of the Ndebele kingship, lost 124 years ago after the death of Bulelani’s great-great grandfather King Lobengula Khumalo.
The Khumalo clan named the now 33-year-old prince as heir apparent to the Ndebele crown, ending speculation over the seat which has remained vacant since King Lobengula was overthrown by colonial settlers in 1893.
On Saturday, Ndebele royals, led by the crown prince and his uncle Prince Hlabezulu Khumalo, paid a courtesy visit to AmaXhosa King Mpendulo Zwelonke Sigcawu at his Nqadu Great Place near Willowvale.
They came to thank King Sigcawu for keeping their heir within his kingdom until it was time for him to become king.
There are many Lobengula royal family members residing in the Eastern Cape, especially in Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth and Port Alfred.
“We also came to Nqadu to invite King Zwelonke to join us at the coronation,” said Hlabezulu.
The kingship became defunct in 1894, following the mysterious disappearance of King Lobengula.
Coloniser Cecil John Rhodes sent Lobengula’s sons to study in Grahamstown.
“For more than a century, the Ndebele nation has been without a king. After years of research, academics and indigenous experts traced Prince Bulelani as grandson and the rightful heir to Lobengula’s crown.
“He was living in Port Elizabeth under the auspices of the AmaXhosa Kingdom,” said Khumalo.
The king-designate was born and bred in Port Elizabeth and had been a soldier within the SANDF until 2014, when he moved to Pretoria.
Khumalo said the restoration of the kingdom would bring back the dignity that was stripped by the colonialists.
“Previously there have been many attempts to try and revive the Lobengula kingship, but these have failed because the colonialists did not want people to unite and be galvanised under the leadership of a king because they understood how powerful Mzilikazi’s kingship was. His managed to unite more than 16 tribes into one mighty nation,” said Hlabezulu.
He said the nation had lost their culture, heritage, identity and pride in many different ways.
The crown prince has promised to work with the people of Zimbabwe.
“Naturally, there is a shock when one is summoned by the elders of one’s nation to ascend to a throne ... and take over where my forefather left off. A huge responsibility has been bestowed upon me, but my ancestors and God will guide me,” said the crown prince.
King Sigcawu expressed his delight at the restoration of the Lobengula kingship and the honour at being invited to the coronation where he will have some responsibilities.
“This is a humbling gesture indeed and proved that we took good care of the crown prince of AmaNdebele while he was in our land.
“Reviving the kingship of Lobengula is such a big milestone and historical epoch and a joy to all the monarchs of Africa,” said Sigcawu.
Contralesa secretary-general Zolani Mkiva and Sigcawu’s adviser said: “This will help dismantle the walls of xenophobia and tribalism.
“All boundaries and borders are artificially erected by colonialists to divide African people.”
Bulelani is the fourth generation of Lobengula. He is the son of Prince Mncedisi Lobengula Khumalo, born of Prince Fana Lobengula, born of Prince Rhodes Mpanga Lobengula, born of Prince Njobe Khumalo, son of King Lobengula Khumalo, born of King Mzilikazi kaMatshobana. He is unmarried and without any children.
Hlabezulu said although they had tried for many decades to revive the kingship, the political environment had not allowed for it.
“It was only in 1997 that the crusade to restore King Lobengula’s kingship gained momentum,” he said. Bulelani was publicly announced as crown prince last year.
— lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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