Chief Ndiweni leads Amangwe to Swaziland

CHIEF Khayisa Ndiweni will tomorrow lead a delegation of 14 members of the Amangwe people to Swaziland for the annual Amangwe cultural celebrations which kick off on Friday and end on Sunday.

The commemorations, which bring together more than 1 000 people from the Amangwe clan dotted around Southern Africa, will be held in Manzini, south-east of the capital Mbabane.

Amangwe King Ntshosho Zwane II is scheduled to attend the event accompanied by a delegation from South Africa. The Amangwe people, who are a sub-section of the Ndebele nation, are found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland and Mozambique.

Zimbabwe Amangwe spokesperson, Fredrick Ndiweni said the trip was to further strengthen relations with their kith and kin.

"This year we are travelling with Chief Khayisa as the head of delegation. We're going there to discuss issues of how to strengthen our culture through a seminar that is organised by our hosts in Swaziland. We will have the exchange because it is important for one to know where they come from.

"Getting together like this will not only create a platform to empower each other, but we will also be able to come up with ideas that will help develop and empower our youth".

Ndiweni said the celebrations are being held also in preparation for the main ones to be held in September in Durban.

"We held these celebrations in Zimbabwe last year however our brothers from Swaziland couldn't make it because of some reasons beyond their control. This year we are going to their country and during that time we will spend with them we will discuss the programme for the main celebrations to be held in Durban, eNtshenteka," said Ndiweni.

It is said the Amangwe bore Ndebele king Mzilikazi. Historians say that King Zwane bore King Mangethe who was a king in the days of Zulu King Tshaka.

King Zwane had a daughter Cikose who was mother to King Mzilikazi.

The Amangwe celebrations have been held annually since 2012 when the Amangwe clan in Zimbabwe were reunited with their kith and kin from South Africa and Swaziland after 180 years of separation. Since then, they have travelled to South Africa every September and Swaziland every March to strengthen their cultural ties and heritage.