adminThe monarch is expected to arrive on Friday with a 10-member royal delegation ahead of the celebrations on Saturday.
King Ntshosho II was inaugurated in October last year in Durban.
The visit coincides with the annual Amangwe clan cultural celebrations.
Amangwe international representative, Jamelinqaba Mbambo, confirmed the development and said upon arrival the King would tour the Old Bulawayo and Matopo monuments.
He said two bus loads of people are expected to come from South Africa to join their Zimbabwean counterparts for celebrations.
“The King will come on Friday morning aboard a Greyhound bus. During the day he and his 10-member royal delegation will tour various places such as Khami Ruins, Matopo Hills and Old Bulawayo,” said Mbambo.
He said King Ntshosho II would be met in Bulawayo by chiefs Wasi, Mphini and Nyangazonke on Friday.
“We expected the King to come on Thursday but his arrival was moved to Friday because of a traditional ceremony to bless their journey that will be held in Durban,” said Mbambo.
He said the roads in the area had been rehabilitated by the rural district council to prepare for the King’s arrival.
“The council has fixed the road leading to the chief’s homestead and other companies from Plumtree have donated various items for the celebrations and everything is in order,” said Mbambo.
He said on Saturday celebrations will be held at Chief Wasi’s homestead with provincial Governor and Resident Minister, Angeline Masuku and National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) director Elvas Mari among dignitaries to grace the occasion.
“This is a family event and we have invited the provincial Governor and NACZ director, Mari and renowned historian Pathisa Nyathi. We expect a colourful event at Chief Wasi’s homestead and also the Khumalos are expected to come,” said Mbambo.
He said as a family they were excited to have their king visit them and the truth about their history would be told.
“We are excited as a family that the king is coming because we have been separated from our other people for over 180 years. The family’s history will be given by Raphael Mbambo,” said Mbambo.
He said five cattle and two kudus will be slaughtered for the occasion.
Nyathi has in the past said the Amangwe people comprised of those with the Ndiweni, Mbambo and Zwane surnames. He said it was strongly believed that one of them, Cikose Ndiweni, was the mother of King Mzilikazi, which was why King Mzilikazi appointed Ndiweni chiefs.
This is the second visit to Zimbabwe by a king from South Africa, as last year Xhosa King, Zwelonke Sigcawu, came to Sojini Secondary School in Mbembesi where he celebrated Xhosa culture with the local Xhosa community and Zimbabweans from all walks of life. He also made history by becoming the first Xhosa monarch to visit the country since the Xhosa came to Zimbabwe some 113 years ago.
The supreme Xhosa monarch was accompanied by a high-powered delegation of chiefs and other members of the royal family from South Africa and the event was also attended by local Xhosa traditional leader, Chief Ndondo.
Bongani Ndlovu