By LULAMILE FENI
The AmaMpondo will have to wait a little longer to regain royal stability as neither of the two feuding parties — the Marhelane and AmaFaku royal families — has been ruled an authentic and legitimate structure to identify an acting king/queen.
The Investigative Committee on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims, headed by Professor Nokuzola Mndende, found neither passed the test in line with AmaMpondo customary law and the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act (TKLA).
AmaMpondo have two kingdoms — Eastern Mpondoland (AmaMpondo aseQawukeni ) led by the Sigcau royals and the Western Mpondoland (AmaMpondo AseNyandeni) currently led by King Ndamase Ndlovuyezwe Ndamase.
Since the death of Eastern Mpondoland King Zanozuko Tyelovuyo Sigcau on May 31 2022, there has been no permanent king/queen.
Two feuding factions, the AmaFaku and Marhelane royal families each claimed legitimacy to appoint an acting king/queen, disputing each other’s legitimacy.
After the death of King Zanozuko Tyelovuyo Sigcau on May 31 2022, the AmaFaku and Marhelane royal families each claimed legitimacy to appoint an acting king/queen, disputing each other’s composition and authority.
In June 2022, the AmaFaku royal family, headed by Prince Seyiso Cetywayo, named Zanozuko’s uncle, Prince Dumelani Sigcau, acting king.
The Marhelane royal family, headed by Nkosi Nzululwazi Jongilanga Sigcau, named Zanozuko’s mother, Nkosikazi Nobandla Sigcau, acting queen.
Nkosikazi MaSobhuza Sigcau, widow of late dethroned Eastern Mpondoland King Mpondombini Thandizulu Sigcau, was appointed by a third group as an acting queen.
Not one of the three acting royals is recognised by the government.
The AmaFaku royal family took the Marhelane royal family to the Mthatha high court where, in November 2023, premier Oscar Mabuyane was ordered to appoint a committee to help identify who was legitimate.
MaSobhuza was not involved in the litigation.
Last week, Mabuyane released the report in which both families were found to have “shortfalls and inconsistencies”.
It was recommended they “reconstitute into one, in line with the authentic genealogy” of AmaMpondo, reflecting all the main houses including the Ndamase royal house.
Ndamases, the kings of Western Mpondoland, are the right-hand House of Faku, AmaMpondo’s founding king. Sigcaus, the Eastern Mpondoland kings, are Faku’s Great House.
Ndamase was found to be one of the key houses in the Eastern Mpondoland succession deliberations and should not be sidelined.
Both submitted genealogies which excluded the Ndamase royal house, something the committee found erroneous.
The Mndende committee found historical evidence that after the original Ndamase, his son Nqwiliso had been part of succession deliberations in Eastern Mpondoland, and so were kings Victor Poto Ndamase and Tutor Ndamase, respectively.
This meant the reigning Western Mpondoland King Ndamase Ndlovuyezwe Ndamase should be part of the ensuing deliberation in Eastern Mpondoland.
“Irrespective of the generational level of the kingship of AmaMpondo (east or west), the heads of these two founding houses are always part of each other’s traditional leadership activities.
“If the previous kings before Zanozuko had always included the generation of Ndamase, there is no justification as to why [the two royal families] exclude Ndamase in their deliberations.
“It should be underscored that the authentic genealogy of this kingdom is the determinant factor on the constitution of the royal family, distribution of houses, and membership representation as demonstrated in the submitted genealogies.”
Mndende said all decisions of kingship succession had to be inclusive of all the houses concerned, and their final decisions had to include Ndamases for announcement or endorsement.
The committee believes the genealogy should include Faku, Mqikela, Ndamase, Sigcau, Cetywayo, Marhelane, Mandlonke, Botha, Nelson, Makhosonke, Zwelidumile, Mpondombini, Ntsikayezwe, Sivento, Zanozuko, Wezizwe and Nzululwazi.
“The two disputing royal families must reconstitute into one, in line with the authentic genealogy reflected above.
“As such, the legitimate royal family with the right to nominate the acting king or queen incumbent is the reconstituted entity taking into consideration all elements discussed above,” Mndende recommended.
She signed the 19-page report on June 27.
Mabuyane’s spokesperson, Khuselwa Rantjie, said: “Since the issuing of the report, the premier has requested a meeting with the two parties to unpack its contents.
“The premier hopes this meeting will set in motion processes leading to the appointment of the acting king in line with the provision of the TKLA and AmaMpondo customary law.”
This article first appeared in Daily Dispatch on 10 July 2024.
