Mutsvangwa sparks tribal storm

Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa has come under fire for remarks dismissing King Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo's legitimacy, with the Ndebele royal house accusing him of ignorance and tribal insensitivity.

The controversy erupted after Mutsvangwa, speaking at a pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo last week, claimed that King Bulelani had "designated himself as a king" and that "local chiefs refused to submit to a king from South Africa."

But King Bulelani's spokesperson, Bornman Khumalo, issued a blistering response, accusing Mutsvangwa of distorting history and disrespecting the Ndebele nation.

"It's very unfortunate that he is a politician who now wants to get involved in our culture, displaying ignorance at its worst," Khumalo said. "Shame on him because more is coming. They must leave us alone."

He added:

"For this politician to call King Lobengula's descendants foreigners is a big insult to the Ndebele nation. He must desist from trying to talk about our history he knows nothing about. It's best that he keeps quiet and lets the Ndebeles be with their tradition, cultural heritage, and leadership."

Khumalo explained that King Bulelani is a direct descendant of King Lobengula, tracing his lineage through Prince Humphrey Lobengula.

He said the family's presence in South Africa dates back to forced exile under colonial rule, when British colonial authorities, led by Cecil John Rhodes, deported King Lobengula's heirs - Njube, Mphezeni, and Nguboyenja - to the Cape Colony following the fall of the Ndebele Kingdom in 1893.

"Those people he calls foreigners are not foreigners; they were taken from their people against their will by the oppressors," Khumalo said.

Mutsvangwa's comments were made while discussing Mzilikazi Day celebrations, where King Bulelani was a guest of honour.

He told delegates:

"He designated himself as the king of something, and our chiefs did not want to submit to a king from South Africa, from an etiquette and political point of view."

However, Tourism Minister Barbra Rwodzi distanced her ministry from the event, saying it had been privately organised.

"Because the organisers did not want our involvement, we do not force ourselves on private events," she said.

Freedom Alliance chairman, Mqondisi Ndebele, said Mutsvangwa's statement reeked of tribal bias.

"He must go and study Ndebele history and must not cause divisions between our chiefs and the kingship," Ndebele said. "I thank the comment from the minister of tourism; she speaks what she knows about the Ndebele culture."

Despite government resistance, Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo was crowned in a private ceremony by the Khumalo royal house, marking the first coronation since King Lobengula's death in 1893.

The revival of the monarchy has been embraced by many in Bulawayo and Matabeleland, who see it as a restoration of cultural identity long suppressed by colonial and political forces.