SELF-IMPOSED Ndebele king Mzilikazi II, Stanley Raphael Tshuma Khumalo, was on Monday released from police custody without charge following his arrest on Sunday on allegations of organising an inxwala rainmaking ceremony without police clearance.
BY NIZBERT MOYO
His lawyer Maqhawe Mpofu of Mlaudzi and Partners confirmed the development yesterday.
“Police released Khumalo on Monday saying they will make further investigations and will proceed by way of summons,” he said.
“The fact is he was at home not at the venue when he was arrested, so who really was the convener of the gathering?”
Mpofu said police were accusing him of failing to notify them and seek clearance to hold the ceremony under the Public Order and Security Act.
Khumalo’s spokesperson, Greater Sibanda said 41 people were arrested together with the “king” and fined $5 each for criminal nuisance.
He described the arrests as part of police harassment on innocent citizens.
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Sibanda said they intended to pray for the leadership of this country and for the rains among other things and police disrupted the ceremony.
“We notified them two weeks before about the ceremony and went there during the week to remind them. The ceremony was supposed to start at 9am, but the police got to the site as early as 7am to block the ceremony. How can they arrest people for conducting prayers,” he said.
Inxwala is a rainmaking ceremony performed annually in accordance with Ndebele culture.
He vowed to go ahead with the ceremony and urged the police to stop politicising cultural issues.
“Police should stop politicising issues, they should not take instructions from politicians, it shows that somebody is pushing them from behind and this is why they are failing to come up with a charge,” he said.
Khumalo last week, clashed with his clansmen over his quest to hold the inxwala ceremony claiming the ritual could only be performed by amawosana (rainmakers) based at Njelele Shrine in Matobo district, Matabeleland South province.
