Royal battle as 22 Zimbane villages taken over

Leadership squabbles over bloodline and hereditary positions

A royal row over succession and accusations of illegal demarcation of sites has sparked the administrative takeover of 22 villages in Zimbane.

The Qokolweni-Zimbane Traditional Council, led by the Sangoni royal family, has taken over the 22 villages, one of the richest headmanships in the

Eastern Cape, which for decades has been led by the Maxwele family.

In 1998, the Zimbane community lodged one of the biggest land claims in the province.

It claimed almost the entire city of Mthatha and much of its surroundings.

The land they claimed was estimated to have been worth billions.

In 2018, a payout of R22m was made to the community by the government.

Most of the land is now managed by the Zimbane Communal

Property Association.

The rest is in the custody of 22 sub-headmen.

Qokolweni-Zimbane Traditional Council deputy chair Prince Dumekhaya Langa Sangoni announced on Tuesday that Zimbane was “currently without a headman”.

“The Zimbane administrative area reports directly to the traditional council in Qokolweni great place for matters related to traditional leadership services.

“The Sangoni royal family, together with the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs, is in the process of identifying and appointing a new headman for Zimbane,” said Sangoni.

Nkosikazi Nosizwe Maxwele, who led the Zimbane headmanship since 2008 after her husband Nkosi Mzimtsha Maxwele died in 2007, stepped down in October 2019.

For many years, the Maxwele family has been divided and embroiled in leadership squabbles.

Some have been campaigning for Nosizwe’s removal since 2017.

While Sangoni announced the change in Zimbane headmanship administration, Nosizwe’s son Asiphe and his cousin Bathobele have been identified as Zimbane headman candidates by those opposing the takeover.

Bhisho is yet to recognise and appoint a legitimate headman between the two Maxweles. Since October there has been no headman in Zimbane.

Asiphe was fielded by Nosizwe’s supporters and Bathobele by the Sangoni royal family, as well as a second Maxwele family faction.

“I have been acting for Asiphe, who was too young to lead when his father died in 2007. Now I have handed over the reins to him,” Nosizwe said last week.

“He has been Zimbane’s headman since March, albeit without Bhisho’s confirmation. I have been victimised as a woman leader of Zimbane by some of my in-laws.

“My unceremonious removal was an orchestrated coup d’etat,” she said.

She continues to serve as a traditional leader on the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipal council.

Sangoni said they knew of only one person earmarked for the headmanship, and it was not Asiphe.

The Maxwele family had no right to appoint successors, he added.

“They are not traditional leaders by birth.

“They are commoners identified by the Sangoni royal family or voted for by the community to the position.

“Zimbane headmanship is non-hereditary and the Maxweles are not a royal family.”

However, the Maxwele family are adamant that they are a royal family.

“We earned the Zimbane traditional leadership from King Ngangelizwe, who ruled AbaThembu in the late 1800s,” said Ntombekhaya Maxwele, Nosizwe’s sister-in-law.

The Sangoni royal family claim some of the 22 Zimbane sub-headmen are illegally demarcating and selling land.

“This has been reported to the land affairs department,” said Sangoni.

Nosizwe claimed to have no knowledge of the land sale allegations.