Prince Nyamande Was Never King of Mthwakazi

1. The recent announcement by Zwide Khumalo and his family members that Prince Nyamande was a Ndebele King for 33 years is a walking scandal whose sole purpose is to cripple and paralyse the closing stages of revival of a giant and thereby postpone the fullest development of the people of Matebeleland and Midlands.

2. Lying at the foundation of all this contemptous announcement is self-exaltation and love for power in scales that dwarf everything in recent world history. Since that announcement, Zwide Khumalo has been distributing anonymous fliers with a view to altering the chosen and certain destiny of Mthawakazi. He wants to keep Mthwakazi in bondage and perpetuate the misery that is growing day by day. He just doesn't get it into his head. All normal people, who do not harbour any sinister motives against Mthawakazi, have accepted with pleasure and celebration that the only person who can legitimately become King is none other than Crown Prince Bulelani.

3. Only Crown Prince Bulelani qualifies in terms Mthwakazi traditions, historical precedents, culture and customs. UMthwakazi is not perturbed by this desperate attempt at undermining her full revival. Crown Prince Bulelani Colins Lobhengula Khumalo will soon be officially taking the throne left vacant by King Lobhengula who was our last King. As King, Bulelani will be the nation's third King proudly following Kings Mzilikazi and Lobhengula.

4. Of all the sons of King Lobhengula, only Princes Njube, Mphezeni, Nguboyenja and Sidojiwe were born after Prince Lobhengula had become King Lobhengula. Only these could qualify to take over from their father in terms of inkosi izala inkosi principle. Princes Mphezeni and Nguboyenja died without any children. Of the remaining two (Princes Njube and Sidojiwe) who were blessed with children, Prince Njube was the oldest therefore his bloodline descendants qualify ahead of Prince Sidojiwe's. Crown Prince Bulelani is the son Humphrey Mncedisi, son of Patrick Fana, son of Rhodes Mpango, son of Njube, son of King Lobhengula, son of King Mzilikazi kaMatshobana.

5. Nyamande was the first born child of Prince Lobhengula. He was born before Lobhengula became King and could have never qualified to take over the throne after the demise of his father. Zwide can fool a few family members of his and never the nation that knows its history. Him dragging the late Chiefs Dliso Mathema, Bhabhiyana Masuku, Mlugulu Khumalo and Sikhombo Mguni into his sewer and portraying them as people who betrayed the nation and its traditions, customs and cultural values by deviously colluding and secretly crowning Prince Nyamande as King in brazen violation of our rules of succession exposes how desperate he is to prevent uMthwakazi from achieving her goals. What an insult!

6. Chiefs Mathema, Masuku, Khumalo and Mguni were not spineless sellouts as Zwide Khumalo would want us to believe. They could not have violated a key constitutional foundation of our commonwealth by illegally crowning Nyamande who was not qualified. These Chiefs, like the rest of other chiefs, lived and died defending the honour of the nation and the traditions, customs and cultural values left behind by Kings Mzilikazi and Lobhengula, the same traditions, customs and cultural values by which Bulelani was found and made a Crown Prince. We therefore urge everybody to let these icons of our struggles rest in peace. Yekelani ukuhlinzela ezibini izinduna zakithi esezalalayo. Inhlonipho phambili bakithi.

7. This King Nyamande claim is so discredited that its proponents cannot even attach their names on their signatures. It is even embarrassing to its defenders. Who wouldn't? Such a fallacy! What a delusion!

8. While we cannot take away Zwide Khumalo's right to dream and rewrite history to fit his unlimited desires to have him and one of his family members King of Mthwakazi, he has no right to plant chaos and discord in the nation. He has no right to malign a nation and drag its proud reputation in the mud. And most certainly, he has no right to cause confusion and despondency among a people who have waited for the moment associated with Crown Prince Bulelani for 124 years.

9. Ironically, Zwide Khumalo calls his organisation King Lobhengula Royal Family Trust. What an admission!! Why not call it King Nyamande Royal Family Trust? Afterall he claims Nyamande was King for 33 years, a time far longer than King Lobhengula's time on the throne. Why? Why did a meeting of chiefs in 1997 and other subsequent meetings say induku yobukhosi yasala endlini yenkosi uLobhengula. Why not endlini yeNkosi UNyamande? Because Nyamande was never King, and Zwide Khumalo knows it. The last King was Lobhengula.

10. For all these years Zwide Khumalo enthusiastically participated in the only legitimate process and structure for the revival of the Monarch until it became clear to him that his attempt at rigging in favour of himself or his family member were not successful; until it became clear to him that the only legitimate process was leading to Bulelani. He then ran away and set up his family-driven process where he is now desperately pushing the Nyamande kingship. He is now seeking to recruit the nation to support a personal agenda and ambition.

11. For the umpteenth time, let it be stated for the young and old alike that no bloodline descendant of Prince Nyamande qualifies, and none will ever qualify, to be Mthwakazi king because Prince Nyamande wasn't qualified to be a King.