Opinion / Columnist
Drama enters race for monarch
22 Jan 2018 at 14:06hrs | Views
IN a dramatic new development in the race for the Ndebele monarch, the Sihluku house, which had appeared to monopolize the race, has lost its dominance with the emergence of the Sumpe house in an on-going investigation.
This brings to 10 the number of wives in the Nyamande household. Sumpe's line comes from Mangongo Nxumalo kaNyathela kaZwide whose lineage provides the most senior line under the caste tradition of Ndebele monarchy.
This new development now features Zwide Peter Khumalo kaMaMlotshwa from the Sumpe Velezulwini household. Sumpe had six wives, three of whom fall outside the realm of the royal basket. Of the remaining three, one produced two girls (all deceased) while the second had six boys and a girl. Two of the boys and the girl are deceased. MaMlotshwa whose lineage, it is said, can be traced back to a Shangaan royalty.
In the scale of advantage Sumpe's qualifying offspring has a direct link with royalty through the dominant Nxumalo clan.
Nyamande appears to have been careful to choose his wives from within clans that qualify to bear heirs to the throne. That then fixes the problem of choosing between those who qualify and those who don't qualify under the strict caste system of the AmaNdebele.
Zwide Peter Khumalo (63) was first named as a possible forerunner in the race for king in 2001. His name was put forward by chiefs in the Ndebele monarchy.
This brings to 10 the number of wives in the Nyamande household. Sumpe's line comes from Mangongo Nxumalo kaNyathela kaZwide whose lineage provides the most senior line under the caste tradition of Ndebele monarchy.
This new development now features Zwide Peter Khumalo kaMaMlotshwa from the Sumpe Velezulwini household. Sumpe had six wives, three of whom fall outside the realm of the royal basket. Of the remaining three, one produced two girls (all deceased) while the second had six boys and a girl. Two of the boys and the girl are deceased. MaMlotshwa whose lineage, it is said, can be traced back to a Shangaan royalty.
Nyamande appears to have been careful to choose his wives from within clans that qualify to bear heirs to the throne. That then fixes the problem of choosing between those who qualify and those who don't qualify under the strict caste system of the AmaNdebele.
Zwide Peter Khumalo (63) was first named as a possible forerunner in the race for king in 2001. His name was put forward by chiefs in the Ndebele monarchy.
Source - Evangelist Reginald Thabani Gola
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