Military service proposed for young royals
TWO senior politicians – a deputy minister and an opposition party leader – have proposed that the sons of kings and chiefs go through compulsory military training for a year so they can learn discipline and acquire leadership skills to serve their communities better.
UDM president General Bantu Holomisa and AmaHegebe Traditional Council head Chief Phathekile Holomisa, who is also Deputy Labour Minister, said this would improve the quality of traditional leadership in the country.
Chief Holomisa said an officer training course in the military could be highly beneficial for the young traditional leaders.
“They will acquire maximum leadership skills and discipline as well as endurance to make them better leaders,” he said.
Both said this was not militarising traditional leaders, but just empowering them, as most young royals lacked leadership skills.
General Holomisa said they would request that the sons of kings and other traditional leaders serve one year in the South African National Defence Force after matric to learn discipline.
“This can help a lot among the young traditional leaders,” the former head of the then Transkei Military Council said.
The training they had in mind was not necessarily officers’ training, but recruit training with a special package for the young royals, Holomisa said.
In Swaziland, King Mswati III’s sons undergo military training.
The British royals, including the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles’ sons William and Harry, also underwent military training.
The Holomisa cousins were speaking around kings and queens at an initiation homecoming ceremony for Phathekile’s eldest son, prince Jongumsobomvu Holomisa, 18, and his regiment of eight men, including six sons of Holomisa royal family members, at the Ngqungqu Great Place near Mqanduli.
Jongumsobomvu is the eldest son of Chief Holomisa and ex-wife, Bukelwa Nolizwe Matanzima-Holomisa, KD Matanzima’s daughter.