Opinion / Columnist
King Lobengula Royal Family press statement on the Ndebele King
30 Aug 2017 at 18:49hrs | Views
We the Royal Family of Lobengula wish to formally address the debacle that has unfortunately plagued the Khumalo family in media over the last few weeks. We would like to sincerely apologize to Umthwakazi nation for the unfortunate miscommunications that have been circulated regarding the issue of Kingship.
Commencing with the issue of Stanley Raphael Tshuma-Khumalo who solitarily claimed to be the new King Mzilikazi 2 to the misguided statements in relation to Bulelani Collin Khumalo, there is very little to be said about the obvious nature of ho unwelcome remarks. The Khumalo family has been ridiculed by the chain of events spawned from his unfounded claims. We believe that we have no reason to dwell on issues relating to him any further as this clearly appears to be a sponsored project.
In respect to recent claims, media statements, including radio interviews in relation to our dear son, Bulelani Collin Khumalo, we deeply regret the premature and ill-informed public actions taken by a fraction of our family, represented by Ayanda Khumalo who has made solo declarations in newspapers and Leo Zulukandaba Khumalo who was on local radio interview last Wednesday, 23 August, 2017.
We want to unequivocally clarify that no Khumalo Prince has been selected of anointed to assume the role of a King in this Region.
The news is a surprise to King Lobengula's family as it was not consulted and Bulelani was not identified and handed over to the rest of the Khumalo Clan by the Royal House of Lobengula. The public must understand that Bulelani Collin Khumalo is part of King Lobengula family, but was pulled out from the fancily by the so called Khumalo elders and is now being masqueraded as the Crown Prince by them.
As King Lobengula's House, we certainly appreciate the enthusiasm surrounding the selection of one of us to be a King, however we wish to emphasize that such process must be done correctly within the realms of our traditions and culture to give our Royal Institution the gravitas and dignity it deserves. The misguided pronouncements by some of our family members and their handlers are unfortunate.
We wish to inform Umthwakazi that the correct selection process of a Crown Prince by King Lobengula Family, that are the only ones among the various Houses of the Khumalo Clan with the mandate to do so, is underway and is drawing to a close. The public must note that claimants for Crown Prince-ship have been awash since as early as 1995 when one of the current so-called Khumalo elders, Leo Zulukandaba Khumalo, went to Natal Zululand and through his cousin brother, Mr Mabhada Khumalo who is late and who detailed in a meeting with some Khumalos at Old Bulawayo, and his uncle told King Zwelithini that he was the heir to the throne.
The public should know also about claims to the Crown by a prominent Medical Doctor based in South Africa, another by Dingani Khumalo in the early 2000s, Mcijwana Khumalo from 2013, Andrew Mlevu Ndlovu from 2012, and the current Stanley-Raphael Tshuma-Khumalo and a Dube from somewhere in Esigodini that also traces his ancestry to Natal and now Bulelani Collin Khumalo from the Eastern Cape.
We will certainly make it a point that we continue with the transparent process that shuns personal agendas. The King Lobengula House implores the Umthwakazi public to bear with it during these trying moments and not be swayed and confused by misguided public statements that donot emanate from the King Lobengula House.
We are under immense pressure to differentiate the transparent process from individual agendas and that should not be seen as delays. We are just saying that we want to do it right so that we preserve the dignity and legitimacy of this cherished institution.
Those that ridicule our culture, family and are intent to undermine the process should be shunned by all of us and be encouraged to give up personal agendas. They should desist from bringing the collective Khumalo name to disrepute and await the correct procedure of releasing the name of the correctly identified Crown Prince by King Lobengula Family to the Khumalo Clan and the wider spectrum of our traditional leaders and not just the two, Chief Khayisa Ndiweni and Chief Vezi Mafu, who had been invited by Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni, that attended the Khumalo meeting of the 19th of August, 2017.
Commencing with the issue of Stanley Raphael Tshuma-Khumalo who solitarily claimed to be the new King Mzilikazi 2 to the misguided statements in relation to Bulelani Collin Khumalo, there is very little to be said about the obvious nature of ho unwelcome remarks. The Khumalo family has been ridiculed by the chain of events spawned from his unfounded claims. We believe that we have no reason to dwell on issues relating to him any further as this clearly appears to be a sponsored project.
In respect to recent claims, media statements, including radio interviews in relation to our dear son, Bulelani Collin Khumalo, we deeply regret the premature and ill-informed public actions taken by a fraction of our family, represented by Ayanda Khumalo who has made solo declarations in newspapers and Leo Zulukandaba Khumalo who was on local radio interview last Wednesday, 23 August, 2017.
We want to unequivocally clarify that no Khumalo Prince has been selected of anointed to assume the role of a King in this Region.
The news is a surprise to King Lobengula's family as it was not consulted and Bulelani was not identified and handed over to the rest of the Khumalo Clan by the Royal House of Lobengula. The public must understand that Bulelani Collin Khumalo is part of King Lobengula family, but was pulled out from the fancily by the so called Khumalo elders and is now being masqueraded as the Crown Prince by them.
As King Lobengula's House, we certainly appreciate the enthusiasm surrounding the selection of one of us to be a King, however we wish to emphasize that such process must be done correctly within the realms of our traditions and culture to give our Royal Institution the gravitas and dignity it deserves. The misguided pronouncements by some of our family members and their handlers are unfortunate.
We wish to inform Umthwakazi that the correct selection process of a Crown Prince by King Lobengula Family, that are the only ones among the various Houses of the Khumalo Clan with the mandate to do so, is underway and is drawing to a close. The public must note that claimants for Crown Prince-ship have been awash since as early as 1995 when one of the current so-called Khumalo elders, Leo Zulukandaba Khumalo, went to Natal Zululand and through his cousin brother, Mr Mabhada Khumalo who is late and who detailed in a meeting with some Khumalos at Old Bulawayo, and his uncle told King Zwelithini that he was the heir to the throne.
The public should know also about claims to the Crown by a prominent Medical Doctor based in South Africa, another by Dingani Khumalo in the early 2000s, Mcijwana Khumalo from 2013, Andrew Mlevu Ndlovu from 2012, and the current Stanley-Raphael Tshuma-Khumalo and a Dube from somewhere in Esigodini that also traces his ancestry to Natal and now Bulelani Collin Khumalo from the Eastern Cape.
We will certainly make it a point that we continue with the transparent process that shuns personal agendas. The King Lobengula House implores the Umthwakazi public to bear with it during these trying moments and not be swayed and confused by misguided public statements that donot emanate from the King Lobengula House.
We are under immense pressure to differentiate the transparent process from individual agendas and that should not be seen as delays. We are just saying that we want to do it right so that we preserve the dignity and legitimacy of this cherished institution.
Those that ridicule our culture, family and are intent to undermine the process should be shunned by all of us and be encouraged to give up personal agendas. They should desist from bringing the collective Khumalo name to disrepute and await the correct procedure of releasing the name of the correctly identified Crown Prince by King Lobengula Family to the Khumalo Clan and the wider spectrum of our traditional leaders and not just the two, Chief Khayisa Ndiweni and Chief Vezi Mafu, who had been invited by Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni, that attended the Khumalo meeting of the 19th of August, 2017.
Source - The Royal Family
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