KING Misuzulu kaZwelithini has called for an end to violent gun attacks in KwaZulu-Natal. Delivering his main address yesterday at this year’s Umkhosi Womhlanga (Reed Dance ) ceremony at Enyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma in the north of the province, the King said he was concerned about the continuing mass killings and called on his subjects to respect one another and observe each other’s integrity.
“I am very concerned about the continuous killing that is taking place among my subjects. I call for the silencing of guns among Zulus. This is the only place we have and we have nowhere to go so if we kill one another, where will we run to?” asked the king.
The King was reacting to a report by provincial premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, who earlier told him about an incident in which seven family members from the Khambule clan, including three children, were gunned down execution style in Highflats on the province’s South Coast.
The King, who shortened his address due to bad weather, also urged Indians and white men to join the Zulu regiments for cultural exchange programmes, saying this would boost social cohesion and promote peace among the nations.
Earlier, Ntuli called for colonial battle sites to be declared heritage sites to boost tourism in the province. He referred to the renowned Isandlwana site near Dundee, where the Zulu army made history in January 1879 by defeating heavily-armed British troops.
Another important battle in the Zulu kingdom’s history took place at Ulundi, where, in revenge for their defeat at Isandlwana, the British attacked King Cetshwayo‘s Ulundi palace. The British defeated the Zulu army and burned down the palace before arresting King Cetshwayo in July of the same year. Ntuli said the province will preserve all the battle sites and build lodges close to them to attract tourists. The premier also announced the renovations of all royal palaces.
More than 20 maidens from Mpumalanga and Gauteng braved the bad weather to attend this year’s Reed Dance ceremony, which marked its 40th anniversary after it was revived by the late King Zwelithini in 1984.
Among the dignitaries that attended this year’s ceremony was a Ugandan king, whose name was not revealed, and Pedi regent Queen Manyaku Thulare, who commended the Zulus for preserving virginity testing, saying that as Pedis they had come to learn more about Zulu culture so they could emulate them. Also in attendance was Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo, who accompanied his province maidens
The ceremony was also hailed for boosting Zululand tourism economy. The region reaps millions of rands from the event through the hospitality industry, transport and informal trading.
To ensure the safety of the maidens and everyone that travelled to the event, Transport MEC Siboniso Duma had the buses used to travel there inspected and directed traffic police to.ensure they were roadworthy.