Royal row over village sovereignty

A royal row over the sovereignty of a community in Ngqeleni has become so nasty that a traditional leader overseeing a vast tract of land in the Wild Coast is in court on assault.

Nkosi Mpumalanga Gwadiso, acting head of Ama-Khonjwayo and the Khonjwayo Traditional Council, is charged with assaulting Hlaliswa Mfundisi, 45, on July 11 after 400 protesters disrupted a meeting.

The march to the Mpoza Great Place was to demand that Gwadiso and his council reinstate Thulani Sithelo as headman of Lwandile-Lower Ndungunyeni villages.

Gwadiso stripped Sithelo of his status after the two disagreed about the sovereignty of Lwandile village headmanship.

On Tuesday a group of about 100 people picketed outside the Ngqeleni magistrate’s court, calling for Gwadiso to step down and demanding Sithelo rule. In court, Mfundisi claimed her knee was injured when Gwadiso assaulted her.

Gwadiso was released on R500 bail. His and Sithelo’s supporters have lodged counter cases of assault.

The furore started after Sithelo’s father Hlathikhulu resigned as headman in September 2014 and died in 2015.

Sithelo expected to inherit the position, but the Gwadiso royal family gave it to his uncle, Thozamile Sithelo.

The Gwadiso royal house confirmed it had replaced Sithelo with Thozamile.