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Mr Colin Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo

Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
THE Royal Crown Trust “introduced” Mr Colin Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo to the Ndebele people on Saturday after the High Court blocked his coronation.

The High Court on Friday blocked the planned coronation on grounds that there was no law in the country allowing the establishment of a monarch.

To add to the confusion, a claimant to the Ndebele crown, Mr Peter Zwide Khumalo challenged the planned coronation of his South Africa-based rival and the High Court issued a prohibitory interdict binding over Chairperson of the Royal Crown Trust Chief Mathema and Mr Bulelani not to proceed with the installation.

Chief Mathema yesterday confirmed that they introduced the king to the people at a venue “somewhere” outside Bulawayo after the coronation was stopped.

“We decided not to go ahead with the coronation ceremony but we revealed our King to the people and he only greeted them. This was important because there are people from outside the country who had come all the way for the ceremony. It was an international event.

“We’ll wait for the courts to finalise the matter. If we’re not happy with the court’s decision we will approach a higher court and we’re prepared to approach the International Court of Justice,” said Chief Mathema.

He said the Government should understand that they were trying to preserve their culture as the Ndebele people.

“What we’re trying to do is something that is in existence. There’s nothing new. We don’t know where Government is missing it. As the Nguni people, we know what we want and we expect the Government to understand,” said Chief Mathema.

He said they respected Chief Charumbira as the president of the chiefs but did not expect to be addressed by him on this issue because he was not one of them.

“Chief Charumbira is from a different background and culture from us.

“He’s a Chief from a different part of the country with its own cultural values. We therefore want the Government to simply understand what we want,” said Chief Mathema.

He also distanced himself from the Mthwakazi Republican Party, saying it was unfortunate that they were being painted with one brush.

“There is a misconception. We’re different groups of people pushing different agendas. This is why we want the Government to engage us so that we talk and reach a consensus on this matter,” said Chief Mathema.

On Friday, Mthwakazi activists were involved in running battles with anti-riot police in front of the High Court in protest over the High Court decision on the matter.

During the skirmishes, the rowdy group, mostly youths threw missiles at police officers who had to respond by firing tear gas canisters to disperse them. —
@pamelashumba1