Durban - The provincial government has issued a stern warning to an Eshowe resident to stop calling himself a king and appointing people as traditional leaders in various parts of the province.
In a statement issued at the weekend, Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube said Bryce Mthimkhulu was violating the law because neither President Jacob Zuma nor Premier Willies Mchunu recognised him “in any capacity as either inkosi or the king”.
Mthimkhulu, who held a big traditional ceremony in Eshowe on Sunday in the capacity of king, insisted he was the king of millions of members of the Amahlubi tribes across the continent.
Acting Judge M Monyemore of the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday issued an interdict against Mthimkhulu after Dube-Ncube made an application in February.
Cogta, responsible for the appointment of traditional leaders in the province, wants Mthimkhulu to stop his actions.
“(This was) after receiving complaints from community members and other traditional leaders in the province, warning him to desist from unlawful conduct of referring to himself as the king of the Amahlubi Clan and to stop organising gatherings under the pretext that he is a king,” said Dube-Ncube.
The Nhlapho Commission, which investigated the legitimacy of those claiming kingship in the country, had concluded that King Goodwill Zwelithini was the only paramount ruler in the province.
However, Mthimkhulu’s spokesman, Portia Motale, said both provincial and national governments recognised his kingship.
Both Zuma and former premier Senzo Mchunu had written letters to Mthimkhulu, saluting him as “His Majesty”, she said.
Dube-Ncube said such a kingdom did not exist in the province.
“(The court order) restrains or interdicts the individual (Bryce Mthimkhulu) from representing and holding out and publishing himself as a king or a traditional leader.
The individual is prohibited from performing any function as a king or traditional leader,” she said.
Dube-Ncube also warned Mthimkhulu that his continuing to claim kingship would imply contempt of court.
“Where evidence exists of such violation, this will lead to harsher legal repercussions.
Cogta spokesman Lennox Mabaso said: “We warned him, but we had to go to court after he did not abide by our warning.
“If he continues to bestow certain people as izinduna and amakhosi he will have to be arrested, because that would sign of disrespect to the judge,” said Mabaso.
Motale said Mthimkhulu would not comply because he had not received a copy of the interdict.
She said that about 7 000 people attended the cultural day on Saturday and that Mthimkhulu was not scared of being arrested.
“The Nhlapo Commission’s report was not conclusive.
“It only relied on evidence presented by individuals, and not history. The commission only approached the king after it had released the report.”
She said Mkhikhulu was recognised across the whole continent, as “Amahlubi are spread across the continent”.
Mthimkhulu’s followers referred to him as His Royal Highness King Mthimkhulu .
Motale said her king was also a successful businessman, but declined to disclose his business interests.
The Mercury