Ndebeles in the UK to instal their diaspora chief

The Ndebele community in the United Kingdom has resolved to embark on the process of identifying, appointing and installing a chief in line with the installation of Chief Albert Zwelibanzi Gumede in South Africa.A meeting held in London on 5 July 2014 under the theme Culture, Identity and Politics adopted the Britain Zimbabwe Society's 2014 annual Research Day theme. This writer had been invited to present to the meeting the same paper presented at Oxford.

At the end of the four-hour meeting a motion was moved, following a lively debate during which the pros and cons of the South African precedent were scrutinised, the meeting unanimously adopted the resolution to begin moves towards identifying, appointing and installing a Ndebele chief in the United Kingdom.

Among the people present at the meeting were Mqondobanzi Magonya, Rori Masiane, Johnson Mnkandla, Thiyiwe Bafana Khumalo, Mpho Ncube, Churchill Guduza, Tshepo Mabhalane Mabhalane and Lucia Dube. Some came from as far north as Birmingham and Leeds.

It was decided meetings would be convened to deal specifically with the issue which, it was resolved, would culminate in the appointment of a Ndebele chief for the UK Diaspora.

Earlier this year at Yeoville in Johannesburg Albert Gumede was installed Ndebele chief in accordance with the South African statute that deals with issues relating to the appointment and installation of traditional leaders.

It remains to be seen what British statute, if any, will be used to install the traditional leader. Participants at the meeting were clad in traditional Ndebele attire, an indication that even in the Diaspora the Ndebele were keen to preserve their culture. The entire meeting was conducted in the SiNdebele language.

Phuthi, one of the participants, read a riveting Ndebele poem to the enthusiastic audience at the commencement of the meeting.