Zulu royal household cleansing ceremony was appropriate - cultural expert

The cleansing ceremony conducted by the Zulu royal household over the weekend – following Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu’s passing last year – was conducted in line with the rituals dating back years ago.

King Goodwill Zwelithini ka Bhekuzulu died last year. He was 73 years old. File Picture

Published Jun 27, 2022

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Durban - The cleansing ceremony conducted by the Zulu royal household over the weekend – following Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu’s passing last year – was conducted in line with the rituals dating back years ago.

This was the view of cultural expert Professor Sihawukele Ngubane. He was commenting after some royals dismissed the event as a charade, insisting that the same ceremony had been done months ago, and the weekend event was simply a muscle-flexing exercise by Zulu Traditional Prime Minister Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

Last week some royals led by Prince Mbonisi Zulu questioned the logic behind holding ihlambo, saying the cleansing ceremony had been conducted earlier this year.

In a press conference held in Durban on Thursday last week, the prince insisted that the ritual conducted over the weekend was unnecessary as it had already been done.

Speaking to The Mercury yesterday, Prince Mazwi Zulu of kwaMinya Palace said ihlambo had been conducted and there was no reason to repeat it.

“We should remember that this is a cleansing of wives and the family, and is meant to remove the dark cloud following a death. This has already been conducted, if there had been an instance where some aspects thereof were missed, the traditional prime minister should have advised otherwise,” said the prince.

He said they were hoping for unity in the royal household, but questioned whether this was possible, maintaining that the event over the past weekend should not have been held.

Ngubane, however, yesterday said the ritual over the weekend was properly conducted with the appropriate people presiding over it.

He cited past practices including the season in which the ritual is conducted were important.

“The ritual is conducted in winter and primarily between June and July because there is a belief that because of its sanctity if conducted in spring or summer, which are rainy seasons, there could be disasters such as floods and therefore it was decided that such a ritual is conducted in winter,” said Ngubane.

He added it was important that it had been conducted under the heir apparent King Misuzulu kaZwelithini.

“Aside from the royal house, even in normal households the last rites are presided over by the heir, and in this instance King Misuzulu kaZwelithini presided over the entire process and therefore it ticks all the boxes a far as cultural practices are concerned,” Ngubane explained.

He pointed out that one of the acts conducted as part of the ritual is game hunting, which is led by the heir, and noted that it had been successful with nine animals that were caught during the hunt.

“This is quite a sensitive matter which should be handled meticulously, if it had been done otherwise there could have been something tragic happening, even death for that matter, but nothing of that sort happened which then proves that it was conducted in line with the cultural practices,” Ngubane continued.

Following the ritual, the expert continued, the time was appropriate for the installation of King Misuzulu as the next monarch.

Addressing the claim made by Prince Mbonisi last Thursday, Buthelezi said: “It is misleading for Prince Mbonisi to say that the cleansing ceremony in honour of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini has already taken place. He goes further to inform us that in his view, this ceremony has already taken place because the spears of the late king have been cleansed by an induna.

“This is against protocol and in fact, they should be held liable to pay a fine for breaking customs. “His Majesty, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, as the rightful heir to the Zulu throne, is the only person and rightful authority – as king of the Zulu nation – to lead the ritual hunt.”