By Sihle Mavuso
Durban - One of the Zulu queens who was against the ascension of Misuzulu KaZwelithini to be king surprised many on Saturday when she showed up at the 9th royal Sabbath and umgidi ceremony of the Shembe church held in Nongoma.
Queen Nompumelelo Mchiza (MaMchiza) is the fifth widow of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini and she lives at eNyokeni palace in Nongoma in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
When the battle for the Zulu throne erupted in May last year, she was seen as supporting Prince Simakade, the first-born son of the late king who up to this moment claims the throne as his.
UPDATE: Despite differences in the Zulu royal family over the throne, Queen Nompumelelo Mchiza, a widow of the King Goodwill Zwelithini who lives at eNyokeni palace is attending the 9th royal sabbath and umgidi ceremony of the Shembe church. King Misuzulu is coming later. @IOL pic.twitter.com/t263x7jUa3
WATCH: Queen Nompumelelo Mchiza (MaMchiza), the widow of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini spotted at the 9th royal sabbath and umgidi ceremony at eNyokeni palace in Nongoma. She is for the first time, since March last year, attending an event where there is King Misuzulu. @IOL pic.twitter.com/dkhBimcG8K
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) November 26, 2022
MaMchiza took flak in early August this year when it was claimed that she deliberately allowed Prince Simakade to perform a “sham ritual” of entering the sacred royal kraal and introduced to ancestors as the king of the Zulu kingdom.
So deep were her differences with King Misuzulu and those behind him that even in early September this year, she snubbed the reed dance ceremony (Umkhosi Womhlanga) which was held on her doorstep.
Again, she snubbed the coronation of King Misuzulu on October 29 at the Moses Mabhida stadium which was, however, attended by Queen Sibongile Dlamini-Zulu, the first wife of the late king who opened the floodgates of litigation in the royal family.
Before the religious ceremony, one of the sons of the late king, Prince Sihlangu Zulu, wrote to King Misuzulu and said he was opposed to it, since there was no reconciliation after armed police raided the historic palace and allegedly harassed Princess Nqobangothando, and Queen MaMchiza and kicked Prince Simakade “out of his home”.
Prince Sihlangu, who is one of the late king’s sons born out of wedlock, but who was adopted by Queen Jane Ndlovu of Lindizwe palace in Nongoma, added that without any reconciliation, the prayer would be proceeding against their will.
“This incident (SAPS raid), you must be made aware Your Highness, brought much pain and bewilderment to this family.
“‘That, as you are aware, owing to a lifetime in this family, also brought joy to some quarters Mageba.
“Some find it amusing that the doors to your father’s house, in which we walk with reverence on our knees, was kicked down by Bheki Celes (sic) men, others smile when they are told that Queen MaMchize (sic) was woken with the guns of Bheki Celes men (police) in her face, who demanded that she declare guns that guard the Royal family,” he wrote.
It was not immediately clear why she decided to attend the religious ceremony which was to be graced by the king and His Holiness Mduduzi “Unyazilwezulu” Shembe, the leader of the Ebuhleni side of the Shembe church.
Meanwhile, by 11.30am on Saturday when the morning service ended, about 8 000 members of the Shembe church had already painted the lawns and the vast arena of the palace white.
This was while hundreds of them were still trying to navigate their way to the palace nestled beneath the mountains of Bululwane.
Long queues of traffic could be seen from the nearby towns of Nongoma and Ulundi, as members were still making their way to the two-day religious ceremony which will end on Sunday.
Hundreds of makeshift tents were pitched on the lawns of the palace by members of the church who intended to spend a night and take part on the last day on Sunday.
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