Coronation to be halted?

The coronation ceremony of the Venda king, Toni Mphephu Ramabulana, may have to be put on hold. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on 9 September and the guests include South African President Jacob Zuma.

The legal representatives of two contenders for the kingship indicated this week that they will ask the Thohoyandou High Court to stop the ceremony from going ahead. According to Mr Johann Hammann, attorney for Masindi Clementine Mphephu and Mbulaheni Charles Mphephu, the necessary documents will in all probability be served on the parties on Friday (26^th). If this is opposed, they will ask for an urgent interdict in the High Court to stop the coronation ceremony.

Masindi (25) is the only child of the late paramount chief of the Vhavenda, Tshimangadzo Mphephu (who ruled under the name Dimbanyika). She claims that she should have been next in line for the throne, but was overlooked because of, among others, gender discrimination. She, along with her uncle Mbulaheni Charles Mphephu, took the matter to court in 2012. Mbulaheni argues that, should Masindi not be considered for the kingship position, he should be next in line.

According to Mr Hammann, the coronation ceremony is premature because the case is about to be heard in the High Court. He said that all the necessary Heads of Arguments had been filed and the parties must simply find a suitable date. He was optimistic that the case will be heard before the end of the year.

The spokesperson for King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana, Mr Jackson Mafunzwaini, was asked for comment, but he could not say much as they have not received any documentation. He did, however, say that they would oppose any such application “vigorously”. According to him, they will also ask that the court take punitive action, should the application for an interdict be regarded as frivolous.

Mr Musangwairi said that the planning for the coronation event would go ahead and they would not be deterred by the legal threats.

On 9 September the Vhavenda royal family plans to crown Toni Mphephu Ramabulana in line with their own customs and traditions. Immediately after the coronation, President Zuma will symbolically hand over the recognition certificate to the king.

The event will be held at Thohoyandou Stadium and will be attended by between 11 000 and 15 000 people. The ceremony will be taking place under the theme, “Restoring the kingship of Vhavenda under the lineage of His Majesty King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana”.

The VIPs that are invited include the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Judge Mogoeng Moegeng; African Union Chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma; recognised South African Kings and Queens; the Public Protector, Ms Thuli Madonsela; the Judge President of the Limpopo High Court, Mampuru Makgoba; the Bishop of the ZCC, Barnabas Lekganyane; Representatives of the SADC, 14 ambassadors; kings from African countries and from other countries around the rest of the world.

News - Date: 25 August 2016

Anton van Zyl

Anton van Zyl has been with the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror since 1990. He graduated from the Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg) and obtained a BA Communications degree. He is a founder member of the Association of Independent Publishers.

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