AmaNdebele nation mourns King Makhosonke II
· Citizen
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.
Visit esporist.org for more information.
Ramaphosa pays tribute
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 the amaNdebele akwaManala and dedicated much of his life to preserving Ndebele culture, customs and traditional leadership institutions.
The monarch’s death comes in the middle of the initiation season, with boys in the mountains for the rite of passage to manhood, of which he is the custodian, that occurs every three years.
Four decades of leadership
During his 40-year reign, he championed education, land restitution and socioeconomic development initiatives aimed at uplifting communities under his leadership.
His tenure, however, was not without controversy.
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.
Kingship dispute
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.
Ramaphosa extended his condolences to the royal household, including Queen Sekhothali, and to the broader amaNdebele community.
King Makhosonke II is survived by Queen Sekhothali Martha Mabhena, whom he married in October 2019.
Service beyond the throne
The king also served as secretary of the Manala Tribal Authority in 1983 and became a member of the KwaNdebele Legislative Authority in 1984.
He later served as deputy chair of the Mpumalanga House of Traditional Leaders and chaired the African Rainbow Minerals Northern Cape and Mpumalanga Rural Upliftment Trust.