Tshiluvhi family claims former “palace”

The royal family of Tshiluvhi is going to lodge a land claim for the area that also includes the house that was once occupied by the then Venda President, Khosikhulu Vho-PR Mphephu-Ramabulana.

The house, now known as the Palace Lodge, is standing on the left side of the main road from Sibasa to Thohoyandou. Previously, the place was known as Minister's houses, but the current spokesperson of the Netshilungwi family, Shandukani Khorommbi-Netshilungwi, said the place used to be known as Tshilungwi village before they were forcibly removed from there in 1965.

 "The place where the royal palace is standing used to be called Tshilivhi. It was our residential area, which also covered the whole of Thohoyandou and some of its surrounding areas. It was Tshiluvhi's royal family's residential site. It became Thohoyandou in 1977 when it was urbanized.”

He added that after they “were forcibly removed by the apartheid government in 1965, we spread to other areas like Lufule, Sokotenda, Ha-Magidi as well as some other areas."

This coming Saturday, 28 March, the family will be celebrating Tshiluvhi Day at the royal palace. A book entitled Ngwaniwapo, La Mulovha la Tshiluvhi Ha-Netshiulwi will be launched on the same day.

The book, written by Khorommbi-Netshiulwi, describes the history of the Tshiluvhi family.

He added that the family had initially failed to lodge a claim with the Department of Land Affairs because they had submitted their application late. However, the family is busy negotiating with their legal representative to find  way to lodge a land claim in this open period.

 

News - Date: 27 March 2015

Ndivhuwo Musetha

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