Chief leaves in hurry during unveiling
HHELEHHELE – There were questions left unanswered to the community when Prince Juwako of Mahlangatsha left in a hurry during the unveiling of Chief Ndlaludzaka II of Hhelehhele.
Community members from the two areas had been waiting for nearly two hours outside the perimeters of the umphakatsi for the blessed chief to be introduced. However, this did not happen early enough as some of the members of Bantfwabenkosi of Hhelehhele stated that there was a problem with the venue where he should be introduced. The new chief of Hhelehhele is Ndlaludzaka II.
Noteworthy, the community had gathered outside the umphakatsi area beyond the gate. This was done differently from other chiefdoms where the introduction is done near the royal kraal. According to a senior member of bantfwabenkosi, the chief could not be introduced within the umphakatsi because it was not far from where the former chief Prince Mnikwa was buried. He said it was against Eswatini culture to take a chief who had been recently blessed by His Majesty near a grave. “It is a taboo,” he said. He said it was also wrong because other rituals were performed when the period of mourning had ended for his widows.
Further, he said it was for this reason that the residents were asked to sit far from the umphakatsi. He said this was how it was supposed to be done as the chief could not go to an area where there was a grave as he had been blessed by the King to perform the duties of a chief. During the same time, Hhelehhele
and those from Mahlangatsha and their chief are said to have been divided on the venue to be used. One faction is said to have wanted the venue to remain unchanged and for the ceremony to go ahead within the umphakatsi while the other demanded that it should only continue outside. About two hours after the residents had arrived, Prince Juwako of Mahlangatsha was seen leaving the umphakatsi in an army vehicle at high speed. One of the residents was heard saying,
meaning he had abandoned his duty of introducing the newly-blessed chief of Hhelehhele. Meanwhile, Mfanuzile Simelane, who is the indvuna ye lusango of Mahlangatsha disputed that the chief had deliberately abandoned his duty. He said the reason he left in a hurry was that he had to go to Ludzidzini where he had been called for an urgent meeting. “That is the reason you saw him leaving in an army van,” said Simelane. Noteworthy, Prince Juwako was the same who introduced Chief Ndlaludzaka II to His Majesty the
King when the chiefs were being blessed. He was also the same who introduced the chief to the community in May 2022, when preparations were being made for him to be finally blessed by His Majesty. Also among the attendees of the event at Hhelehhele was the newly-installed chief of Nginamadvolo Chief Lodlakama. He attended the event and then returned to his community where he was also introduced at a ceremony that attracted throngs of
residents from Nginamadvolo and the surrounding areas. Just like Hhelehhele, Nginamadvolo is also another area where some with factions were not in agreement about the selection of the current chief. This resulted in the community being divided such that some of them did not attend.