Tsholotsho proportional representation MP Memory Linyani has called on the government to declare Queen Lozikeyi Dlodlo's grave a national heritage site, saying the move will honour one of Zimbabwe’s most influential female leaders.
Queen Lozikeyi, the senior wife of King Lobengula Khumalo, is remembered for rallying resistance against colonial rule during the First Chimurenga and for maintaining unity within the Ndebele Kingdom after the king’s disappearance.
Raising a matter of national interest in the National Assembly last week, Linyani said Queen Lozikeyi’s burial site in Bubi district deserved formal recognition and protection by the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe due to her contribution to anti-colonial resistance and the preservation of Ndebele history.
“Recognising and preserving her grave as a national heritage site would not only honour her contribution, but also ensure that future generations understand and appreciate her vital role in Zimbabwe’s history,” Linyani said.
The site at Nkosikazi in Bubi district, where she was buried in 1919, carries deep cultural and spiritual significance, and many regard it a sacred place.
Calls to preserve Queen Lozikeyi’s gravesite are not new.
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Over the years, cultural groups, historians and villagers in Nkosikazi have repeatedly urged the government to rehabilitate the burial site and grant it national monument status.
Earlier campaigns described the grave as neglected and called for Queen Lozikeyi to be accorded recognition among Zimbabwe’s foremost liberation icons.
Historian Arnold Nkala said Queen Lozikeyi’s role in the First Chimurenga and her influence within the royal household earned her national recognition.
“Those are the main reasons her gravesite must be declared a national monument. She played a pivotal role in the First Chimurenga and was a matriarch of the Ndebele nation,” Nkala said.
“She was King Lobengula’s chief adviser. In many cases in this country, we hear more about Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi than King Lobengula, yet he was among the first leaders to resist British occupation.
“Much of the credit for that resistance belongs to his wife, Queen Lozikeyi.
She was the driving force behind it and she truly deserves that status.”
The call was welcomed by Patricia Tshabalala, who said Queen Lozikeyi symbolised courage and women leadership.
“This presentation is very much needed. I am happy that someone has said it. I love Queen Lozikeyi — she deserves this recognition. She fought for us and showed that women are powerful,” she said.
Tshabalala said she shared a birthday with Queen Lozikeyi, July 14, and is organising commemorations this year in her honour.
“Preparations are in progress, but the day will be celebrated,” she said.