Durban – The Sigcau royal family of the AmaMpondo kingdom in the Eastern Cape has become the latest monarch to be embroiled in disputes about who is the rightful family member to discuss their issues and who is not.
Last week IOL quoted Prince Mzwandile Marhaqana saying the mourning period for the kingdom following the passing away of King Zanozuko Sigcau in May this year, was over.
Moreover, the prince, who said he spoke on behalf of the royal family, said the meeting with iinkosi under the kingdom was to discuss the status quo of the kingdom since the passing of the king.
NEWS: Some members of the Sigcau royal family of AmaMpondo Kingdom have hit back at Prince Mzwandile Marhaqana, saying he has no business in discussing royal affairs with the media. They claim that he is an outsider since his father had a relationship with a married woman. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) September 7, 2022
However, the prince was mum when he was asked whether the issue of succession was on the agenda or not.
IOL understands that the issue of succession has already divided the royal house into two factions – the factions that belted it out live on TV during the king’s burial in June this year.
The prince’s statement has since irked some members of the Sigcau royal family.
At the weekend they sent a strongly worded statement to IOL, saying Prince Mzwandile had no business discussing royal matters.
They claim that he is an outsider since his father had an affair with a married woman and that is how he was born.
They claimed that he did not belong to the royal house and could not speak on its behalf.
The statement was issued by Nkosi Nzululwazi Jongilanga Sigcau and it was endorsed by Princess Stella Sigcau II (head of communication), Dr Ntsizakalo Ngalo, a chief administration officer in the office of the Acting Queen, Nobandla Sigcau and advocate Mathew Mpahlwa, their legal adviser.
“Well, the less said about Mr Marhaqana the better.
“However for the sake of completeness we wish to state that if one may ask his standing in the family in terms of custom, and which house he belongs to, one may be shocked to know that he has no business on AmaMpondo royal affairs, and there is no such a person by the name of Marhaqana in the lineage of Faku.
“Nkosi Ngangenyathi Sigcau, the son of Toli, the Right Hand House of King Sigcau, had an affair with a married woman from the Marhaqana family of the Gcwanini clan.
“From that relationship, a boy child was born, and that boy child is Mzwandile Marhaqana.
“In terms of AmaMpondo custom and tradition, a child born out of the situation stated above, does not belong to AmaFaku clan or family, but he belongs to the Marhaqana family of AmaGcwanini.
“Any man who sleeps with someone’s wife and begot a child with the woman, in terms of AmaMpondo custom, the man is usually fined 10 cows by the family of the affected party, which is paid to the husband, and in the case of Marhaqana, he belongs to the Marhaqana family and has no customary right to participate in intimate issues of the royal family of the Houses of Marhelane.
“Not even any family for that matter of AmaFaku clan, because he belongs to the Marhaqana family, except for those open meetings that affect the general population of AmaMpondo,” they said in the statement.
Furthermore, in their statement, they denied that the aforesaid meeting in Ntabankulu Prince Mzwandile said it took place in Ntabankulu did happen.
“Recently, his dealings with the media have rather become suspicious and continue to divide the Amampondo royal family of late king Zanozuko Sigcau.
“A situation the kingdom will not tolerate any longer.
“We further deny that amaKhosi of the kingdom met in KwaTantsi Great Place, Ntabankulu in the Eastern Cape on the 2nd day of September 2022.
“‘A reading of Mr Marhaqana statements soon reveals that the real purpose is an activity of character assassination of the Amampondo Royal Family.
“The statements by Marhaqana, an information peddler is an analysis itself out of place as would be a Florence Nightingale outfit on a hangman.”
The Prince asked to be given time to respond to the claims and he never did.
He was furnished with the full statement so that he could entirely understand the allegations against him before responding.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
Current Affairs