President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent meeting with Zulu monarch King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has reignited debate over the unresolved Ndebele kingship question in Zimbabwe, with traditional leaders, cultural activists and political actors offering sharply differing interpretations of the engagement.
The meeting took place during a visit by King Misuzulu and AmaMpondo King Ndamase Ndamase to Harare last week.
The meeting has drawn reactions ranging from optimism that it could open dialogue on traditional leadership issues to criticism from groups that argue the government continues to sideline the Ndebele monarchy. King Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo’s spokesperson, Bornman Khumalo, said the engagement was a positive development and expressed confidence that authorities would eventually engage advocates of the Ndebele kingship.
‘Little by little the government will realise that they can’t ignore the resuscitation of our monarch; they will definitely engage, they are just buying time,’ Khumalo said.
“You know politicians, but we are positive that in the very near future they will come to the table and we will agree on how we will co-exist going forward.
“This kingship is not here to replace the government but it is coming to complement it in uplifting the lives of our people, so there is no reason to look at each other as enemies.”
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Khumalo said there was nothing controversial about the visit by the Zulu king and welcomed the prospect of a future visit to Bulawayo.
‘There is nothing wrong with the visit by His Royal Majesty the King of the Zulus. We would love to have him visit Bulawayo; it’s very positive,’ he said.
However, Ibhetshu LikaZulu secretary-general Mbuso Fuzwayo dismissed the significance of the visit, arguing that the government had failed to address the issue of the Ndebele kingship within the country.
“It is just a political stunt. If the government of Zimbabwe is sincere about issues of the kingdom, they should have acknowledged that a certain part of the country was under a king that they don’t want to acknowledge,” Fuzwayo said.
“Culturally it is of no significance. The leadership of the country should have met him with traditional leaders from a region that shares the same culture with the Zulu monarch.
Fuzwayo also argued that discussions affecting Matabeleland should involve representatives from the region.
“What we will never believe in is that they can commit themselves to addressing the Matabeleland leadership question without the presence of Matabeleland,” he said.
A Bulawayo-based political analyst said the meeting should be viewed within the broader South African context, where monarchies are constitutionally recognised and traditional leaders continue to wield influence.
“It is important to note that the South African Constitution recognises monarchies, and the meeting came in the context of the immigration crisis.
“Kings are influential in South Africa, and meeting them must be read in that context, that the President wanted to exchange notes with them,’ the analyst said.
The analyst added that the meeting was likely to attract different interpretations because of historical and cultural links between the Zulu nation and Ndebele communities in the country.
“King Misuzulu did say in one of his public speeches that Ngunis in Zimbabwe were his subjects. It cannot be ruled out that he raised his ideas with the president,” the analyst said.
Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) president Mqondisi Moyo said the meeting had highlighted what he described as contradictions in the government’s approach to traditional leadership.
“This meeting is a textbook display of political hypocrisy, historical denialism and selective recognition,’ Moyo said.
He argued that while the government was willing to engage traditional monarchs from neighbouring countries, calls for the restoration of the Ndebele monarchy remained unresolved.
Prince Peter Zwide Khumalo, however, cautioned against speculating on the contents of discussions between Mnangagwa and King Misuzulu, saying the Ndebele royal family had not been briefed on the visit.
“The starting reaction is that the Ndebele nation is uninformed about His Majesty’s visit to Zimbabwe except what we have come across on social media. We thus cannot confirm the content of their discussions,’ Prince Peter said.
He described the visit as a positive development that reflected growing recognition of the importance of culture and traditional leadership in modern African societies.
“This was a meeting at a very high-ranking level and we should understand that it could only be for some obvious need for direct contact between the King and the president,” he said.
He said that while the Ndebele monarchy was unlikely to have been part of the discussions, the visit could help strengthen cultural ties and encourage greater appreciation of traditional institutions.
The debate over the restoration of the Ndebele monarchy has persisted for decades, with supporters arguing that it is a cultural institution linked to the legacy of King Mzilikazi and King Lobengula.
The government has previously maintained that the country’s constitutional framework does not provide for a monarchy, leaving the issue unresolved despite recurring calls for recognition from some sections of society.