By LULAMILE FENI
Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s effort to reunify the AmaMpondo royal family, after a two-year-dispute over which branch of the nation has the right to appoint an acting king or queen, is to be snubbed by one of the factions.
A meeting is scheduled for Thursday in Bhisho, but only two of the three feuding factions is planning to attend.
Lawyers for one of the parties have written to the premier and his lawyer, Rupert Fortune, to say their clients will not attend.
They said there was a Constitutional Court appeal on the matter and that issues of kingships were the responsibility of the state president, not the premier.
Since the death of AmaMpondo King Zanozuko Tyelovuyo on May 31 2022, Eastern Mpondoland has had no recognised permanent or acting king or queen.
Of the three factions, two structures, the AmaFaku and the Marhelane royal families, have taken each other to the Mthatha high court over the matter.
In 2022, the Marhelane group elected Zanozuko’s mother, Nkosikazi Nobandla Sigcau, as acting queen, while the AmaFaku elected Prince Dumelani Sigcau.
The third faction elected Nkosikazi Lombekiso MaSobhuza Sigcau.
MaSobhuza and her group want her daughter, Princess Wezizwe Sigcau, to be a permanent ruling queen and the matter is with the Constitutional Court.
In November, the Mthatha high court ordered Mabuyane to establish a committee to work out which family was a legitimate structure to identify acting kings or queens.
This was done, and then the Investigative Committee on Traditional Leadership Disputes & Claims, led by Professor Nokuzola Mndende, reported none of the factions was legitimate.
On July 2, Mabuyane asked the factions to join him for a reunification royal family meeting.
But lawyers for Wezizwe and her mother turned down the invitation.
Webber Wentzel’s Ayanda Khumalo wrote back to Mabuyane: “Our clients’ decision not to participate in the process is based on a pending appeal before the Constitutional Court which is expected to decide through which mechanism the AmaMpondo aseQaukeni kingship dispute should be resolved.”
Khumalo asked Mabuyane to make the minutes of the reunification meeting available to the lawyers.
He also “implored” the premier to suspend the meeting, pending the outcome of the Constitutional Court appeal.
On June 28, Khumalo wrote to Fortune, saying: “The underlying dispute is about a kingship, which in terms of [Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act 3 of 2019] Section 59 is to be dealt with by the president, and not by the premier.”
Speaking on Wednesday, Wezizwe’s spokesperson, Nkosi Ayanda Faku, said: “Queen MaSobhuza remains AmaMpondo acting queen. We will not be part of the premier’s meeting.”
AmaFaku royal family spokesperson Prince Mbasa Sigcau said they confirmed Prince Dumelani as acting king.
“We will be part of the meeting and still maintain the name.”
Nkosikazi Nobandla’s spokesperson and daughter, Princess Ziyanda Sigcau, said: “We will attend the premier’s meeting and participate in full in the processes. We still maintain Queen Nobandla Sigcau is the acting queen.”
Princess Stella II Sigcau said the Marhelane royal family had not yet decided on a name.
“The royal family resolved that a physical meeting will be called at the time to determine the appointment of acting king.
“We call for unity among all parties and we work together for the greater good of the kingdom.”
Mabuyane’s spokesperson, Khuselwa Rantjie, said all the concerns and uncertainties would be addressed at the meeting.
“All the issues raised following the release of the report will be ironed out in that meeting.
“The premier will unpack the contents of the report and hopes this meeting will set in motion processes leading to the appointment of acting king/queen in line with the provision of Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act and AmaMpondo customary law.”
This article first appeared in Daily Maverick on 11 July 2024.
