This year’s King Mzilikazi commemorations are slated for September 5 at Mhlahlandlela, 22km south of Bulawayo, organisers have said.
BY SILAS NKALA
Every year the Khumalo clan and traditional chiefs organise commemorations to celebrate the life of King Mzilikazi Khumalo. The celebrations are usually graced by Kings and Chiefs from Kwazulu Natal in South Africa and other Southern African nations.
Mzilikazi KaMthwakazi Cultural Society public relations officer, Nhlanhla Khumalo told Southern Eye yesterday that preparations for the event were at an advance stage and invited Zimbabweans to grace the occasion.
“Preparations are advanced now. We are currently constructing toilets at the site for people to have enough facilities and by next week all will be ready,” Khumalo said.
He said traditional leaders from Kwazulu Natal have already confirmed participation, while others invited from Gauteng were yet to confirm. He said traditional leaders from Malawi have also been invited.
The cultural leader said a number of cattle and foodstuff for the celebrations have been pledged by well wishers.
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Asked if the controversial secessionist and self-proclaimed Ndebele paramount Chief for Mthwakazi Republic Albert Zwelibanzi Khumalo Gumede would attend, Khumalo said he was not sure. He said if Gumede attended the celebrations, he would be coming not as a traditional leader, but a Zimbabwean under his local chief.
“Here chiefs are born, they are not just installed out of lineage. The way he was installed is not commensurate with our way of installing chiefs,” Khumalo said.
Gumede was installed by a group of Zimbabweans from Matabeleland, based in South Africa as paramount Chief of the controversial secessionist “Mthwakazi Republic” in March 2014.
His installation sparked furore back in Zimbabwe, as most of the traditional leaders in Matabeleland and the Khumalos disputed the move and distanced themselves from the issue describing it as a non-event.
Mzilikazi commemorations started in the year 2000 to celebrate the life of the king who left the then Zululand in the 1820s with less than 500 people and fought his way up to present day western Zimbabwe.
According to the association’s spokesperson Rodgers Mthethwa, Mzilikazi was able to persuade some tribes in the Transvaal to join his crusade.
“Mzilikazi crossed the Limpopo River and finally settled in Matabeleland, establishing his capital at Mhlahlandlela, which is now a recognised historical site,” he said.
Khumalo urged all people including politicians to attend, but challenged them to leave politics out of the event.
