Mpondo royals veto Sigcau invite from government
THE United Nations celebrated its 70th anniversary this week with a special General Assembly session on what the UN has achieved and the road ahead for peace, security and human rights.
While the world today may not be entirely peaceful, secure and respectful of human rights, we need to remember the UN was formed in large part as a response to the holocaust of World War 2, which itself followed closely on World War 1.
In between was the ill-fated League of Nations, which was supposed to prevent another world war, but instead precipitated an even worse war, affecting more nations and people and in which the horror of nuclear catastrophe was unleashed.
The major lesson from the League of Nations was that consensus between world powers with competing global interests is almost impossible – which was why the Security Council with permanent members having veto power was formed.
And it is around the Security Council that most of the calls for reform have come, particularly from Africa. President Jacob Zuma told the special session last week it was “unacceptable and unjustifiable that more than one billion people in the African continent are still excluded as permanent members” of the Security Council.
Pointing out that a continent with a smaller population than Africa had three permanent members of the Security Council while Africa had none, he added that the UN could not “pretend that the world has not changed since 1945. We are no longer colonies. We are free, independent sovereign states.”
The president is both right and wrong. The world has changed and perhaps there is room for greater and fairer representation on the Security Council – but such representation cannot be simply on the basis of demographics.
The UN succeeded (in the sense there has not been a World War 3) where the League of Nations failed because it balanced democratic debate with global power.
The temptation to view the UN as some kind of democratic world parliament based purely on votes is dangerous since most independent countries would themselves quickly reject being told what to do by others. Zuma said as much in his response to the debacle over the International Criminal Court’s order to arrest Sudan’s president Omar alBashir on allegations of gross human rights violations.
Many parts of the world are still rent apart by hideous violence with military muscle exercised by world powers. The UN will need to reform to better overcome such situations. Becoming a world parliament is however, not the right path. That would likely deepen divisions and may usher in the kind of world war instigated by the League of Nations.
THE succession of Mpondo kingship is based upon both Mpondo custom and heritage. Successors must ascend to the throne based on Mpondo custom.
This part of our heritage seems to be under threat due to the recognition of Nkosi Zanozuko Sigcau by some government departments, the latest being the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
It has invited him in the capacity of “King” to attend an event to mark World Food Day on October 16, to be held at Mbongweni village, in the Mbizana local municipality. He is not the king. Princess Stella Sigcau has written to the department advising them that he is to be invited as “iNkosi”, not as king.
The Constitutional Court on June 13 2013, unanimously ruled that the late King Justice Mpondombini Sigcau was king.
The non-implementation of this decision which saw Nkosi Zanozuko Sigcau dethroned and King Justice reinstated as king posthumously, continues to pose a challenge.
It is important to note that King Justice was always the rightful king according to Mpondo custom. Nkosi Zanozuko Sigcau never was. We are of the view that to infringe on these established norms not only undermines the Constitutional Court decision and existing legislation on traditional leadership, but distorts the Mpondo kingship succession process.
As amaLunga – one of the Mpondo roy-
NJONGOZIPHEZULU MADIKIZELA
al families – we have a keen interest in the matter.
I feel we cannot keep silent as this not only a problem of iQawuka kingship. It poses a threat to succession in the whole of the Mpondo kingdom.
It is a threat to the preservation of our heritage and our right as amaMpondo to self determination.
As it affects the right of our kings to ascend to the throne based on Mpondo custom, it is our problem as the Mpondo nation.
Our kings must be allowed to ascend to the throne based on Mpondo customs and protocols.
In all South African traditional societies, kings are installed according to their various customs.
Amampondo must be accorded such rights and our king must be allowed to ascend to the throne in accordance with our customs.
It is disturbing to hear that even though Nkosi Zanozuko Sigcau lost his claim to be amaMpondo king in terms of the unanimous Constitutional Court decision – that favoured his uncle, King Justice Mpondombini Sigcau (Ah! Thandizulu!) – some national and Eastern Cape government organs continue to invite him to attend and even speak at government events in the capacity of king of the amaMpondo. They also accord him the protocols due to a king.
We are of the view he should be invited as iNkosi and not as king.
The rightful amaMpondo king is Jongilanga Sigcau, son of Nkosi Ntsikayezwe Sigcau, the late ANC freedom fighter who was brother to the late King Justice Sigcau.
It is important to note that King Jongilanga’s mother, Ndlunkulu Lungakazi Sigcau, comes from this chieftaincy and from our family, the Madikizela royal family.
King Justice died without an heir and, according to Mpondo custom, the royal family acted in accordance with traditional leadership laws and informed the Ministry of Traditional Affairs and the MEC of the rightful successor.
We now support the letters written by Princess Stella Sigcau II to Traditional Affairs MEC Fikile Xasa and Cooperative Governance Minister Pravin Gordhan regarding Nkosi Zanozuko still being invited as king to government functions. We await a response with keen interest.
Our position on this matter must not be mistaken for us having anything against Nkosi Zanozuko.
We are simply defending custom against distortion and supporting the rightful heir.
As custodians of custom, as amaKhosi, it is incumbent on us to defend and protect our custom, in particular against opportunism, oppression and distortion.
We look forward to the installation of King Nzululwazi Jongilanga Sigcau as the rightful king of amaMpondo.
We continue to support unity, peace and prosperity in the Mpondo kingdom.
Our kings must be allowed to ascend to the throne based on Mpondo customs and protocols
We continue to support and respect the government of the people, appreciating the big milestones accomplished since the dawn of democracy.
However, we do not support government infringing on issues of kingship succession in the Mpondo kingdom.
These issues are guided by custom and the royal family is there to ensure that, in line with legislation on traditional leadership in South Africa, this should be respected.
Prince Duke Njongoziphezulu Madikizela (Zanokhanyo!) is a senior member of the Amalunga royal family, of the Mpondo kingdom