Ndiweni family divided over who is the rightful chief

A long-running leadership wrangle within the Ndiweni royal family has intensified, with rival factions advancing sharply conflicting claims over who should be recognised as the substantive chief of Ntabazinduna.

One faction is backing Dumisani Douglas Ndiweni, arguing that the chieftaincy is vacant and that he is the rightful successor. The opposing group insists that Nhlanhla Felix Ndiweni remains the legitimate chief despite currently residing in the United Kingdom.

The group supporting Dumisani Ndiweni says it has acted in line with the Traditional Leaders Act, which empowers the royal family to identify a candidate for appointment. Family spokesperson Stanley Madlala Dube said the faction had formally endorsed him.

"The Ndiweni royal family pro-Dumisani Douglas Ndiweni faction has exercised its mandate as an electoral body and identified the last-born son of the late Chief Kaizer Ndiweni… for the position of substantive chief of the people of Ntabazinduna," Dube said.

The faction claims its position is fully supported by traditional structures within the Nhlambabaloyi clan, citing backing from key family houses.

It further argues that Nhlanhla Ndiweni is disqualified from holding office following his 2019 conviction, maintaining that the chieftaincy has effectively been vacant since August of that year.

The group also rejected the appointment of Wishes Ndiweni as acting chief, describing the move as illegitimate.

However, a rival faction within the family disputes those assertions, maintaining that Nhlanhla Ndiweni remains the substantive chief. In correspondence addressed to the Umguza District Development Coordinator, the group announced the appointment of Wishes Ndiweni as acting chief pending his return.

"The House of Ndiweni has seen it appropriate… to appoint an Acting Chief until such time Inkosi Nhlanhlayamngwe Ndiweni returns," the letter reads, emphasising that the arrangement is temporary and does not amount to a succession decision.

The dispute traces back to the death of Chief Khayisa Ndiweni in 2010. Nhlanhla Ndiweni, his son, was installed and formally recognised as chief in 2014, but his leadership has faced sustained challenges from sections of the family, including his brother Douglas.

Tensions escalated in 2019 when the government moved to remove Nhlanhla Ndiweni from office, a decision he challenged in court on the basis that he had not been afforded a fair hearing.

With both factions standing firm, the impasse has deepened uncertainty over traditional leadership in Ntabazinduna, raising the prospect of a prolonged legal and cultural battle over the chieftaincy.