adminBongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
ORGANISERS of this year’s King Mzilikazi commemorations say the event is not exclusive to the Khumalo family as it is a national celebration which can be attended by anyone. King Mzilikazi died 146 years ago on September 5, 1868, and is remembered every year courtesy of the Mthwakazi kaMzilikazi Cultural Association.
This year’s celebrations will be held on September 13 at the Mhlahlandlela memorial site – 22 kilometres south of Bulawayo. The site is known to have been Mzilikazi’s capital.
The Mthwakazi kaMzilikazi Cultural Association said the celebrations had in the past been mistaken for a Khumalo family celebration.
Their spokesperson Rogers Mthethwa said the event was actually open to all Zimbabweans regardless of culture and tribe.
“This is a national event and there have been people who thought the event was for the Khumalo family. The Khumalo family is there by virtue of being the descendants of King Mzilikazi and are part of the celebrations,” he said.
Mthethwa said five cows would be slaughtered on the day with strictly traditional beer being served.
“This is a traditional event and we do not want clear beer. Ingwebu traditional beer will be on offer as we want to preserve our culture by eating and drinking traditional foods,” he said.
A direct descendent of King Mzilikazi, Prince Zwide Kalanga Khumalo, who has attended the commemorations in past years, said the traditional ceremony was a process of appeasement for good fortune that is known as ukuthethela in isiNdebele.
“We are commemorating a great King who was a leader of a diverse nation that had many cultures and people. As the Khumalo family, we are not a separate element from the community, we only contribute as an inner circle with a traditional ceremony a day before the event,” he said.
The celebrations have over the years been attended by King Zwelonke Sigcawu – the 28th King in the Xhosa dynasty and Princess Patricia Zulu – the sister of Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, both from South Africa.
King Mzilikazi was born the son of Matshobana near Mkuze, Zululand in 1790 in South Africa. In 1823 he crossed the Limpopo River during the Umfecane after having a fall out with Zulu King Tshaka and finally settled in Matabeleland in the 1830s, establishing his capital at Mhlahlandlela.
King Mzilikazi died in 1868 and was buried in a cave at the Matopo Hills.
Online Reporter