AmaNdebele nation mourns King Makhosonke II

King Makhosonke II of the amaNdebele nation is remembered for education, land restitution and cultural preservation in Mpumalanga. Picture: Gallo Images/Sowetan / Thulani Mbele The amaNdebele nation is in mourning following the death of King Makhosonke II, the reigning monarch. He died yesterday at the age of 65 after spending four decades on the throne.

The king’s death was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, describing him as a pillar of national unity, a champion of development and a custodian of South Africa’s rich cultural heritage. Born Enock Makhosonke Mabhena, the king served as the traditional leader of theamaNdebeleakwaManala and dedicated much of his life to preserving Ndebele culture, customs andtraditional leadershipinstitutions. The monarch’s death comes in the middle of theinitiation season, with boys in the mountains for the rite of passage to manhood, of which he is the custodian, that occurs every three years.

During his 40-year reign, he championed education, land restitution and socioeconomic development initiatives aimed at uplifting communities under his leadership. For decades, the king found himself entangled in a bitter and often divisive dispute over the rightful kingship of the amaNdebele nation. The conflict pitted the Manala and Ndzundza-Mabhoko royal lineages against one another and raised fundamental questions about whether the amaNdebele should be led by a single king.

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The dispute ultimately landed before the Nhlapo Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims which, in 2008, concluded the amaNdebele kingship vested in the Manala lineage and that King Makhosonke II was the rightful leader of the amaNdebele nation. The commission also found the Ndzundza-Mabhoko house did not constitute a separate kingship.

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