Reed Dance quandary
King Misuzulu’s detractors plan to stop him from using enyokeni Palace
KING Misuzulu and his brother Prince Simakade are headed for another potential showdown over the venue to host the annual umkhosi womhlanga (Reed Dance) ceremony at enyokeni Palace, Nongoma, where the prince resides.
Prince Simakade is one of two princes who are separately challenging King Misuzulu’s throne.
The ceremony celebrates the virginity of young maidens and draws about 20 000 young women from across the country and eswatini.
enyokeni Palace has traditionally been the venue to host the ceremony. King Misuzulu doesn’t live in enyokeni Palace and has not used it since the passing of his father, King Zwelithini.
Prince Mxolisi warned that failure by the premier, Nomusa Dube-ncube, to halt the ceremony or to have it held at an alternative venue may lead to confrontation and regrettably result in bloodshed.
Prince Mxolisi said a letter had been sent to Dube-ncube that stated: “It has come to our attention that Prince Misuzulu kazwelithini will be holding a reed dance ceremony at enyokeni Royal Palace on the 17 September, 2022, following the one he held at Emachobeni Royal Palace.”
The premier may be aware that the core structure of the Amazulu Royal Family did not recognise prince Misuzulu as the Zulu king. Instead, it nominated and recognises king Simakade kazwelithini as the legitimate heir to the Zulu throne, the letter said.
Prince Mxolisi said the palace in question was the official residence of prince Simakade, who he referred to as the king.
He said to have “prince” Misuzulu and his supporters come to the palace would be “an act of extreme provocation, and the consequences, if allowed to proceed, were too ghastly to contemplate”.
King Misuzulu had been officially recognised as Amazulu king by President Cyril Ramaphosa and was receiving all his dues, including a salary and protection services.
Prince Mxolisi said they had instructed their lawyers to inform the president that the core structure of the Amazulu Royal Family did not accept his decision and they intended to institute review proceedings.
“We requested that the president make available to our lawyers his records of decision detailing the basis for his decision and report of the mediation panel that he appointed to resolve the kingship dispute.
“Regrettably, the president has not resolved the dispute, nor has he made available his record of decision despite the numerous requests made through our lawyers.
“In the meantime, Prince Misuzulu and his supporters should continue to use Kwakhangelamankengane Palace, which is the same palace in which he has conducted his events, including entering the kraal,” the letter said.
Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Prince Mxolisi said they had been waiting for a response from Dube-ncube to their letter.
He said should the premier not respond, they would convene a meeting to decide the way forward. He said they had not made any attempt to notify king Misuzulu about their decision.
“We tell people that are supposed to know this, not everyone. If they decide to come, there is a sports ground that they can use, not the palace. There are police at the palace that will deal with trespassers,” he said.
Royal spokesperson Prince Thulani Zulu said he was not aware of any issue relating to the use of enyokeni Palace, when asked about the letter. He said no one who belonged to enyokeni had informed him or the king that their palace was not available.
“The people you are talking about do not belong to enyokeni, this is just to confuse people. There is nothing that will stop us from using the palace,” he said.
Ndabezinhle Sibiya, spokesperson for the KZN premier, said Dube-ncube believed that such matters required to be handled with care and a lot of respect.
“Therefore, she prefers to consult with the Zulu royal family privately,” said Sibiya.