'Mthwakazians' in South Africa appoint first chief

Zimbabweans (abakaMthwakazi) living in
South Africa have appointed Baba Albert
Zwelibanzi Gumede to be their first chief as
they take on a what they term the revival of
Mthwakazi kingdom.
"Chief" Gumede will be inaugurated as the
first Mthwakazi Chief this Saturday at
Yeoville Recreation Centre in Johannesburg
South Africa. According to a statement, Zulu
King, Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu should
have presided over the inauguration
ceremony but has since apologised but
promised to send his representative to
officiate on his behalf.
The statement says that Chief Gumede is the
first of several Mthwakazi chiefs that will be
appointed before a King of the Ndebele
people and his regiments is finally reinstated.
Spokesperson of the coordinators of the
event Smanga Phakathi KaMoyo stated that
Gumede was elected by a group of
Mthwakazi political advocates and other
Mthwakazi Culture and Heritage groups
based in South Africa to be the chief of the
Mthwakazi people in Johannesburg. "Gumede
was elected by the people of Mthwakazi who
have been attending several Mthwakazi
meetings and events that have been
convened in and around Johannesburg
because of his dedication and commitment to
the upliftment of the cause of Mthwakazi,"
she said in a statement.
Gumede was recently arrested with grand
daughter of National Hero Jason Ziyaphapha
Moyo, Ms Prudence "JZ" Moyo at Joshua
Mqabuko Nkomo Airport in Bulawayo after
being found in possession of material
inscribed "Vuka Mthwakazi". They were
detained at Bulawayo Central Police Station
over night before paying an admission of guilt
fine for an offence classed as criminal
nuisance.
The organisers of the event are calling upon
all Zimbabweans of Mthwakazi decency
(Ndebele) who are resident in South Africa to
attend the event which according to them will
be graced by senior Zulu Kingdom leaders
including the head of South African Chiefs.
The organisers also indicate that several
other chiefs from Zimbabwe will attend the
ceremony to honour the inauguration of the
new chief.
"Induna yakhe emphethe ekhaya izobe
ikhona,lomkhulu wezinduna
kwelikaMthwakazi uzabe khona laye
lomkhulu wezinduna khona la egoli ubaba
uNdwandwe uzabekhona laye," says a
statement issued by Phakathi KaMoyo.
What however remains unclear is under
whose laws Gumede will be inaugurated as
Chief because the people he is purporting to
be representing are not recognised as an
official clan by both Zimbabwean and South
African laws and governments.
The Zimbabwean government has clearly
stated over the years that it does not
recognise the purported Mthwakazi Kingdom
which is advocating for the cessation of the
southern part of Zimbabwe out of Zimbabwe
to form a separate Mthwakazi Kingdom.
Several people calling for the establishment
of the Mthwakazi Kingdom have been
arrested and charged with crimes ranging
from criminal nuisance to treason amongst a
host other charges. According to Zimbabwean
laws anyone found guilty of treason has an
automatic death sentence imposed on them.
At the moment three senior leaders of
Mthwakazi advocacy are on an on going trial
for treason and include activist Paul Siwela
who has since skipped bail and just the
country to seek refuge in Sweden.
It therefore remains a mystery how the
South African or Zulu Kingdom leaders will
preside over the event as it might lead to a
diplomatic row between Harare and Pretoria.
Of greater concern is how the said
Zimbabwean chiefs would go to South Africa
and grace the event without clearance from
the Zimbabwean Government. If the said
chiefs attend they risk immediate arrest on
getting back to Zimbabwe as Mthwakazi
advocacy has been classified as treason in
Zimbabwe.
Phoned for a comment an official at The
Ministry of Local Government in Harare who
could not disclose his name laughed at the
issue before putting the phone down saying
his bosses "will not have time to waste
attending to questions on useless things
(zvinhu zvisina basa rese).

Aliqunywe Mthwakazi.....