4 days ago
Questions over R154m spent at royal palace as King moves Reed Dance venue
PRINCESS Sihle Mdhluli, the Zulu king's new bride-to-be, seen at the uMkhosi weSivivane held at the eMashobeni Royal Palace. The palace will now play host to all major ceremonies of the Zulu nation per the King Misuzulu kaZwelithini's decreee.
THE almost complete R154 million eNyokeni Royal Palace building, whose future is unclear following King Misuzulu kaZwelithini's announcement that all major ceremonies for the Zulu nation will be held at the eMashobeni Royal Palace. The building was expected to be used for this year's uMkhosi woMhlanga (Reed Dance).
SONG and dance was also part of the uMkhosi weSivivane which was held at the eMashobeni Royal Palace, in oPhongolo, northern KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend. The ceremony which is held every August, celebrates the power of women and is also a platform to discuss social ills and challenges facing women.
The decision by King Misuzulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini to move the Zulu nation's flagship ceremonies from eNyokeni Royal Palace to the recently built eMashobeni Royal Palace has sparked questions over the future of a R154 million government-funded building at eNyokeni.
For nearly four decades, eNyokeni in Nongoma has hosted the iconic uMkhosi woMhlanga (Reed Dance), a celebration of young women's chastity revived by the late King Goodwill Zwelithini. The KwaZulu-Natal government funded construction at the site to make it more accommodating for attendees, including a permanent structure designed to eliminate the costly annual hire of marquees. The project is nearing completion, with officials having visited the site just two months ago.
However, during the recent uMkhosi weSivivane ceremony, King Misuzulu announced that all major royal events will now be held at eMashobeni Palace in eMpakama, oPhongolo, in northern KwaZulu-Natal. These include the Reed Dance and uMkhosi wokweShwama (First Fruits Festival), which was hosted there earlier this year. The move has raised concerns that the eNyokeni development could become a white elephant.
Neither the king's spokesperson, Prince Thulani Zulu, nor KZN Arts and Culture spokesperson Ntando Mnyandu would be drawn on the future use of the eNyokeni facility. Prince Thulani said he would issue a statement after consulting the king, while Mnyandu said the department was not ready to comment.
The relocation also comes with questions about whether eMashobeni has the infrastructure to accommodate an event as large as the Reed Dance, scheduled for next month. This year marked the first time that uMkhosi weSivivane, an August event celebrating women's empowerment, mentorship, and social cohesion, was hosted at eMashobeni.
Addressing attendees, King Misuzulu urged the nation to accept the shift.
'I know all of us were used to all ceremonies being held at eNyokeni Palace, but we must accept this change. Tradition dictates what should happen. UMkhosi wokweShwama was held here, and it precedes all royal family ceremonies, that is why today's event is here too,' he said.
Cultural experts say the move is unprecedented in recent history. Professor Sihawu Ngubane of the University of KwaZulu-Natal noted that the late King Zwelithini never relocated the umsamo (sacred altar) from eNyokeni, even though his main residence shifted from KwaKhethomthandayo to KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace.
'We are shocked because we were used to eNyokeni,' Ngubane said, although he stressed that the move is not in itself against tradition.
With millions already invested and the Reed Dance days away, the fate of the eNyokeni project, and the traditions it has long symbolised, remains uncertain.
The new palace is also home to the king's new bride-to-be, Princess Sihle Mdhluli, from the Mdhluli royal family in Mpumalanga.
