Durban - The royal family of the Mpondo Kingdom in the Eastern Cape has apologised to King Goodwill Zwelithini and President Jacob Zuma following allegations that their king had called them “amakhwenkwe” - an insult referring to men who have not undergone traditional circumcision.
“Amakhwenkwe” is an Mpondo or Xhosa word which also refers to men who have opted for a medical operation to remove the foreskin as boys, who are seen as inferior to their counterparts who have had the operation traditionally.
Several community newspapers, two in Kokstad and one in the Eastern Cape, reported that Mpondo King Zanozuko Tyelovuyo Sigcau had called Zuma and the Zulu king “amakhwenkwe” during a traditional ceremony in Mbizane, in the Eastern Cape, last month.
The function was to install Bhekamambo Ntola as the nkosi of the Ntshangase clan.
In an audio clip - which The Mercury has heard and has a copy of - King Sigcau can be heard talking to journalists about how to deal with the death of initiates during circumcisions. The king can be heard calling King Goodwill Zwelithini “inkwenkwe” and saying Zuma is worse.
“We must correct what is happening where people come here and teach us how to conduct circumcision. I am talking about this person called Zwelithini who is inkwenkwe.
“What happened in Kokstad, I don’t like it. He endorsed himself as custodian of Mpondo culture while he is ‘inkwenkwe’, and his children are ‘amakhwenkwe’ just like him. I don’t want to talk about Zuma because it is another story,” King Sigcau is heard saying in the audio clip.
The Zulu king was in Kokstad in January to welcome young men back from traditional circumcision. It was in this traditional ceremony that he called on the Nguni nations, including Zulus and Mpondos, to unite in claiming their land back.
Zuma’s office said it was not aware of the insults, while the Zulu king said he had read about it and was expecting an apology.
Sigcau’s cousin Princess Stella Sigcau II issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the family regretted the utterance.
“We wish to express and extend our sincere apologies to His Majesty King Zwelithini, the President of South Africa HE Zuma and the entire Zulu nation for the actions of our brother Nkosi Zanozuko Sigcau and on behalf of the Mpondo Kingdom,” she said.
The apology appears set to cause further strife in an already divided family.
King Sigcau said he was not aware that his family had issued an apology on his behalf. He denied he had ever called Zuma and the Zwelithini “amakhwenkwe” .
On Tuesday King Sigcau denied having insulted Zuma and the Zulu king. He also expressed shock to learn about an apology.
“The (Eastern Cape community) newspaper misquoted me. During an interview with the journalist I only talked about people who are imposing themselves on Mpondo culture.
“I only said most of ‘amakhankatha’n (traditional nurses who look after initiates) were ‘amakhwenkwe’,” he said.
The 41-year-old king said he would never disrespect Zuma and the Zulu king as “I treat them as my fathers”.
He said Princess Sigcau issued the apology to embarrass him.
However, Princess Sigcau insisted on the apology, saying that it was meant to maintain peace between her people and Zulus.
She said although she was not at the function in Mbizana, the family had heard from several people who had been present what King Sigcau had said.
“While he is our brother and one of the chiefs of Mpondoland, we do not support the utterances he made to His Majesty King Zwelithini Zulu and the President of South Africa, which were disrespectful and unbefitting of a traditional leader.
“We condemn any acts which compromise good relations between people and between kingdoms.
“We continue to embrace unity in a diversity of cultures,” she said.
Zuma’s spokesman Bongani Majola said the Presidency was not aware that Zuma had been insulted.
Zwelithini’s spokesman Prince Thulani Zulu said the royal family had read about the alleged insults.
“We are expecting Zanozuko to apologise, not through newspapers. As an adult he should know how to apologise,” he said.
Inkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana, the acting general secretary of the House of Traditional Leaders, said the term “inkwenkwe” was an insult.
“Inkwenkwe in Xhosa is a boy who is uncircumcised. If someone refers to a man as ‘inkwenkwe’ it is very insulting because it refers to an ‘uncooked man’ who does not deserve any respect whatsoever,” said Nonkonyana.
The Mercury