Eastern Cape royals united in Covid-19 fight

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought unity to the royal households of the Eastern Cape, as six kings and a queen call on their subjects to heed the precautions necessary to stop transmission of the disease. 

The monarchs, in separate statements, likened the pandemic to a wartime attack by an impi of warriors and reminded their people of the carnage wrought by not taking seriously the danger of transmitting the HIV virus. They issued an impassioned plea for their subjects to observe the government's lockdown regulations, not only for their own sake but for the health and safety of their children.

With Covid-19 spreading into some rural parts of the province and with the country now in level 4 of the lockdown, the concerned Eastern Cape royals had a rare moment of complete agreement on the challenge facing their respective communities.

The seven royal households are worried some irresponsible people could perceive stage 4 as an opportunity for chaotic breaching of the regulations to curb transmission of the virus, reversing the gains made in stage 5.

The monarchs painted a bleak picture of activities in rural areas and towns, saying villagers were doing as they like.

They urged communities to ''treat the current situation as war time and communities must refrain from conducting cultural practices and all the other social activities important to their being''.

Traditional leaders must ensure that all forms of cultural activities, including ulwaluko, amazila and iintlombe, as well as sporting activities remain suspended.

Western Thembuland King Siyambonga Matanzima urged traditional leaders to display responsible leadership before it was too late.

''No leader would pride themselves on leading a sick and dying nation. No leader would plunge their people into death. We are concerned with the lack of maximum observation of the Covid-19 regulations in rural communities. We fear massive infections and deaths,'' said Matanzima.

DispatchLIVE has reported that in rural area villagers are openly flouting regulations.

The monarchs urged communities not to repeat the mistakes that were made during the HIV-Aids epidemic, when rural communities disregarded medical advice.

AmaMpondo King Zanozuko Sigcau said ''the life and health of our communities remain paramount".

Sigcau said Alfred Nzo district had suspended traditional initiation, both in winter and summer seasons, as part of containing the spread of the virus.

''We must not wait until our relatives are infected and have died before we understand that Covid-19 is not a joke, but a killer which will swallow us all. I urge AmaMpondo and traditional leaders to assist in fighting the pandemic and adhere to regulations.

"It makes my heart bleed to see AmaMpondo regarding it as business as usual, disregarding all the regulations. If things continue like this even in level 4, I fear for the worst in Mpondoland,'' Sigcau said.

Like Alfred Nzo region, AmaXhosa under acting king Nkosi Dumehleli Nongudle Mapasa, suspended both the winter and the summer traditional initiation seasons.

The provincial government and Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders have only suspended the winter season so far.

The province's seven reigning monarchs – Matanzima, Sigcau, Mapasa, AbaThembu acting king Azenathi Dalindyebo, AmaMpondo AseNyandeni King Ndamase Ndamase, AmaRharhabe Queen Noloyiso Sandile and AmaMpondomise King Luzuko Matiwane – issued individuals statements over the weekend calling their respective nations to maximise their war against Covid-19.

They fear the coronavirus will wreak havoc in rural communities if people do not abide by the regulations.

Dalindyebo said: ''We are in a crisis, we are faced with a matter of life and death. People must always wear face masks whenever they leave their homes, that is mandatory. But that alone, without washing hands, sanitisation, social distancing and other regulations, is not enough. The simplest thing we can do to save lives is to adhere to the regulations of the lock down.''

Sandile, through her spokesperson Prince Zolile Burns-Ncamashe, said ''people have to adapt to the abnormal situation".

Burns-Ncamashe said: ''It's a war, we are fighting an invisible enemy. The casualties are already more than many wars. The queen calls for AmaRharhabe to restrain from conducting traditional initiation this season."

Ndamase's jurisdiction includes Port St Johns — the epicentre of the outbreak in the eastern half of the Eastern Cape, where 40 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Majola village.

"We want no more infections. I beg my people to abide with the regulations and not dice with their lives. I cannot keep quiet and watch my nation perishing," said Ndamase.

He warned that traditional initiation was suspended nationally this season and lawbreakers will be prosecuted.

All seven royals supported private and small burials to avoid Covid-19 transmission.

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