Pretoria - The battle for the throne of the Bapedi Kingdom seems destined for the courtroom yet again.
The latest developments followed a statement by one of the feuding factions of the royal council denouncing the public violence that gripped parts of the country in the past week.
Prince Morwamohube Ernest Tulare, in the statement, supported Zulu king Misuzulu KaZwelithini in slamming the civil unrest and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The violence broke out after former president Jacob Zuma began his 15-month jail term.
Prince Morwamohube, in the statement, is mentioned as the acting king of the Bapedi nation.
It read in part: “I undersigned, his Royal Highness, acting designate of Bapedi Kingdom for the Lekwe-Bepe Prince Morwamohube Thulare, do hereby echo the sentiments of His Majesty King Misuzulu Ka Zwelithini of the Zulu nation.
“I support the call for peace, justice and respect for right to dignity, life economic activities as enshrined in our sacred Constitution.”
However, speaking to Pretoria News yesterday, spokesperson of the royal family Ntoampe Mampuru dismissed Morwamohube’s statement and vowed to urgently take the matter to court.
“It is time for us to take them to court because it’s not their place to be making announcements on behalf of the royal family.
“We are consulting with our lawyers this morning (yesterday) and will be applying for an urgent interdict. There can’t be two acting kings. We know who the rightful regent is.
“What is worse is that he has mentioned the name of the rightful regent in his statement without her knowledge. This matter has been delayed because we are nursing the matter thinking it will go away. But it’s time we go to court,” Mampuru said.
The rifts started after the appointment of Queen Mother Manyaku Thulare as the regent in March following the death of her son King Victor Thulare III, who died of Covid-19 complications in January.
The succession battle had raged on for years, with King Thulare III’s uncle Kenneth Sekhukhune, who was acting, refusing to relinquish the throne. But King Thulare III was finally recognised as the rightful heir by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, last year, and eventually recognised by President Cyril Ramaphosa seven months before his death.
Following his death and the appointment of Queen Mother Manyaku as the reigning regent, the faction of the royal council decided to appoint a parallel regent, Prince Morwamohube, who is the late king’s half brother and the queen mother’s step son.
The faction had planned to officially announce 56-year-old Prince Morwamohube’s ascension as the new regent in March after the appointment of the Queen Mother Manyaku, but was interdicted by the courts.
Prince Morwamohube’s argument is that he is the first-born son of the late King Rhyme Thulare III, who was husband to the Queen Mother Manyaku.
However, Mampuru argues that the royal house could not guarantee that Prince Morwamohube was King Rhyme’s son.
Efforts by Pretoria News to speak to Prince Morwamohube’s spokesperson Makoko Sekhukhune were not fruitful as his phone was constantly off.
Pretoria News