...'when queen died, she was happily going home'

BADPLASS - “When the queen collapsed and died during the course of Mantjolo Day, she was happily going home.”

This was said by Reverend Radebe of the Methodist Church, where the late Queen of the Mnisi Clan in Southern Africa, Tholakele Shabalala, was a fully fledged member. The man of God told mourners during the queen’s funeral service that when Shabalala collapsed, she was changing her spiritual room. He said God allowed it to happen because He was ready to take over where she left of. The clergyman told the mourners that God would continue to hear Shabalala’s prayer even in the next world.

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Scripture

Radebe then quoted the scripture in the Book of ,, II Corinthians 4:16 and ,, II 5:1 Corinthians which he said stated clearly that earthly bodies would collapse so that people could receive spiritual bodies, which were never built by the hands of man but God in Heaven.

“I do not like to talk about these verses because I know how painful is it to lose a relative,” he said.

,, II Corinthians 4:16 reads “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward, man is being renewed day by day”, while ,, II Corinthians 5:1 reads “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, and eternal house in Heaven, not built by human hands.”

He said their presence as a church was to assist the Mnisi family, clan and the community to look at the situation with spiritual eyes. He said a lot could be said judging from the manner in which the queen died but urged the family, clan and the entire community to avoid speculations and look at the situation with spiritual eyes.

Radebe stated that the queen’s earthly body would remain in the grave pending the blowing of the trumpet, where she would rise to eternal life.

“Some people think this is a tale yet it is real. Shabalala never boasted about being a queen in church because she knew her life will fall. We did not treat her like a queen in church because she refused any special treatment. As someone who served with her in church I believe that when she collapsed and died, she heard a voice, saying ‘come home my child.’ God never worried about her children because He knew they were left in His safe hands,” Radebe told the mourners.

Lifetime

On another note, Radebe revealed to the mourners that Shabalala left her wish in relation to her funeral service during her lifetime.

Radebe told mourners that Shabalala requested that her funeral service be dominated by praise and worship as opposed to grief. He urged the mourners to respect the queen’s wish by observing the praise and worship throughout the funeral service.

The clergyman pleaded with the clan to be understanding of the church as they observed the queen’s wish.

“Shabalala was a queen but she never boasted about her status in church. She chose to live an equal life in church. She participated in all activities since she joined the church. She was known as a member not a queen in church. Allow us to do what she was known for in church,” Radebe said before leading the proceeding of the service.

As requested by Radebe, praise and worship dominated the funeral of the late queen. Her children, Inkosi Manyovu III, Prince Malasha and Princess Lomantjolo, promised to make their mother proud even in her grave. The trio stated that they learnt a lot from their mother during her lifetime.

The late Queen of the Mnisi Clan in Southern Africa Tholakele Shabalala’s casket was covered with a cow skin and thorns placed on top before it was lowered into the ground over the weekend.