ASPIRING King Nyamande Lobengula 11, Prince Zwide Kalanga Khumalo, says he plans to engage President Emmerson Mnangagwa to negotiate for the restoration of Mthwakazi state, soon after his unveiling ceremony on Saturday.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Mthwakazi Heritage Trust official, Kernan Mzelikahle, confirmed yesterday that the new Ndebele king would be unveiled this week at a public function to be held at Amphitheatre in the city.
Lobengula was the last King after a British Pioneer Column led by Cecil John Rhodes destroyed the Ndebele Kingdom in 1983.
Mzelikahle said Khumalo’s immediate task is to push for the total restoration of the Matabeleland Kingdom that was destroyed by Cecil John Rhodes and his colonial forces in 1893, adding the demand is not treasonous.
“Zwide’s approach in this matter is that he agrees that Zimbabwe is a State that seeks democratic development and his leadership is determined to pursue peaceful and democratic means to establish a workable structure regarding the Mthwakazi question,” Mzelikazi said, but reiterated that the Mthwakazi state restoration agenda did not mean cessation.
Mzelikazi’s Mthwakazi Heritage Trust is a cultural organisation interested in the preservation of culture of all people, and claims it is committed to peaceful and constitutional methods of cultural preservation.
He said the Mthwakazi state restoration is all about creating a structure to deal with the multi-faceted problems facing Matabeleland.
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“This structure may involve among others, the development of a local assembly where pertinent matters can be discussed. This local assembly can be called a local parliament and must discuss issues such as the Gukurahundi question, the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (MZWP), de-industrialisation and so forth without causing political destabilisation.
“Khumalo respects the political structures in Zimbabwe but takes it upon himself to address problems facing Mthwakazi,” Mzelikazi said.
He said the right to self-determination (Restoration) of the people of the Mthwakazi state a fundamental human right that is enshrined in the United Nation’s (UN) self-determination principle and as such legal at international law.
