Opinion / Columnist
Another Ndebele 'King' to be coronated
09 Nov 2017 at 13:57hrs | Views
The Crown Council, on behalf of relevant chiefs and the people they lead, has the pleasure in announcing that His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Bulelani Lobhengula Khumalo is expected to be culturally crowned on 3 March 2018 in a ceremony that will be held in the City of Bulawayo, concluding the first phase of the two-phased process of his ascendancy to the throne. While the first phase is, without doubt, a cultural and religious/spiritual exercise, the second phase is essentially a constitutional exercise wherein the people and their political leadership will address the constitutional, legal and political order within which the Monarch will operate.
On the 3rd of March 2018, we will officially handover the product of the first phase to the people and their political leaders for the prosecution of the issues arising on the second phase.
The completion of this process will make His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Bulelani Lobhengula Khumalo the first legitimate and recognised King since King Lobhengula. He will be taking over the throne left vacant after his great, great, great grandfather King Lobhengula was dethroned by colonial forces in 1893. Crown Prince Bulelani Lobhengula Khumalo is the son of Prince Humphrey Mncedisi, son of Prince Patrick Fana Boyd, son of Prince Rhodes Mpango, son of Prince Njube, son of King Lobhengula.
The choice of 3 March 2018 follows wide consultations with stakeholders and takes into account all the imperatives and details of culture, customs and tradition. The date also gives the people enough time to adequately prepare for this momentous occasion and mobilise the necessary resources to make it historic and memorable.
The modern search for a Crown Prince began in 1997 when chiefs, culturalists, historians, academia and community organisations met to set the process in motion. While as chiefs we wish this process were long concluded, we understand and accept that every lead had to be followed and every hole plugged to ensure that the product is acceptable to the generality of the people and consistent with our cultural and customary norms and standards.
We are therefore satisfied that this choice was arrived at in a way consistent with our cultural values, customs, traditions, practices, historical precedents and due process and have, as such, found nothing objectionable about both the process and outcome. We therefore wish to take this opportunity to thank all those who took part in the search and identification.
Following receipt of the name of the Crown Prince, the chiefs established a Royal Crown Trust led by an interim Crown Council for purposes of ensuring that the processes going forward are consistent with traditions, cultural values and customs over which the chiefs are custodians. The Crown Council is composed of chiefs and people from different walks of life and is divided into committees each headed by a chief.
Finally, as chiefs, we wish to state categorically that:
(a) The monarch being revived is not at all meant to replace or otherwise diminish the republican character of the state where sovereign power is held and exercised, in the main, by the elected representatives of the people in a multiparty democratic constitutional order. The Monarch will operate side by side and coexist with the elected representatives as does happen in modern constitutional democracies.
(b) The Monarch is being revived based on the values of:
(i) respect for fundamental rights and freedoms;
(ii) respect of human dignity and equality of all human beings; and
(iii) respect for the diversity of ethnic groups, beliefs, customs, and cultural practices.
(c) The Monarch being revived will not be imposed on any individual or linguistic, cultural and ethnic group. All linguistic and cultural communities will continue to live and be governed according to their respective customs, traditions, cultural values and practices.
Further announcements in regards the process will be made as when required.
Issued by:
Chief Mathema
Chairman
Crown Council
For more information please contact our Information Department at: +263771733670
On the 3rd of March 2018, we will officially handover the product of the first phase to the people and their political leaders for the prosecution of the issues arising on the second phase.
The completion of this process will make His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Bulelani Lobhengula Khumalo the first legitimate and recognised King since King Lobhengula. He will be taking over the throne left vacant after his great, great, great grandfather King Lobhengula was dethroned by colonial forces in 1893. Crown Prince Bulelani Lobhengula Khumalo is the son of Prince Humphrey Mncedisi, son of Prince Patrick Fana Boyd, son of Prince Rhodes Mpango, son of Prince Njube, son of King Lobhengula.
The choice of 3 March 2018 follows wide consultations with stakeholders and takes into account all the imperatives and details of culture, customs and tradition. The date also gives the people enough time to adequately prepare for this momentous occasion and mobilise the necessary resources to make it historic and memorable.
The modern search for a Crown Prince began in 1997 when chiefs, culturalists, historians, academia and community organisations met to set the process in motion. While as chiefs we wish this process were long concluded, we understand and accept that every lead had to be followed and every hole plugged to ensure that the product is acceptable to the generality of the people and consistent with our cultural and customary norms and standards.
We are therefore satisfied that this choice was arrived at in a way consistent with our cultural values, customs, traditions, practices, historical precedents and due process and have, as such, found nothing objectionable about both the process and outcome. We therefore wish to take this opportunity to thank all those who took part in the search and identification.
Finally, as chiefs, we wish to state categorically that:
(a) The monarch being revived is not at all meant to replace or otherwise diminish the republican character of the state where sovereign power is held and exercised, in the main, by the elected representatives of the people in a multiparty democratic constitutional order. The Monarch will operate side by side and coexist with the elected representatives as does happen in modern constitutional democracies.
(b) The Monarch is being revived based on the values of:
(i) respect for fundamental rights and freedoms;
(ii) respect of human dignity and equality of all human beings; and
(iii) respect for the diversity of ethnic groups, beliefs, customs, and cultural practices.
(c) The Monarch being revived will not be imposed on any individual or linguistic, cultural and ethnic group. All linguistic and cultural communities will continue to live and be governed according to their respective customs, traditions, cultural values and practices.
Further announcements in regards the process will be made as when required.
Issued by:
Chief Mathema
Chairman
Crown Council
For more information please contact our Information Department at: +263771733670
Source - Chief Mathema
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