Sixteen months after police in Hawaii shot dead KwaZulu-Natal rugby player Lindani Myeni, his widow has still not been granted South African citizenship despite promises by the government to do so.
But an intervention by Zulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini has produced a glimmer of hope for US-born Lindsay Myeni, 30, who is determined to raise her children in SA so they can embrace their Zulu heritage.
While the children hold dual US-South African citizenship, Lindsay, who is living in SA, has been waiting for the department of home affairs to process a two-year extension of her visa after her visitor’s visa expired.
“I was on a visitor’s visa and applied in time for the two-year visa. They said they would get back to me in eight weeks with a yes or no, but it’s been over a year.”
She returned to SA last year with her children to bury Myeni, who was shot by police officers in Honolulu on April 14 2021 after he tried to enter a private home that Lindsay believes he might have mistaken for a public temple.
At Myeni’s funeral, Lindsay said she was relieved when provincial officials promised her citizenship. She said she didn’t want “to raise kids that are considered black in America, where clearly it’s not safe”.
King Misuzulu heard of Lindani’s murder and was moved by it. He told me he used to play for the same rugby team Lindani played for - they even played in the same position with the same jersey.
— Lindsay Myeni
Myeni’s death, which made global headlines, struck a personal chord with the king who is himself a former rugby player.
“King Misuzulu heard of Lindani’s murder and was moved by it,” Lindsay said.
“He told me he used to play for the same rugby team Lindani played for — they even played in the same position with the same jersey. So he felt some connection to Lindani.
“When he heard the government hadn’t assisted me yet, he immediately wanted to help. I found him to be a pretty compassionate person.”
Myeni played flank for the Durban-based Jaguars rugby club before he and Lindsay got married.
The spokesperson for the Zulu royal house, Prince Thulani Zulu, said King Misuzulu played rugby during his younger days. “He did play rugby at college, I am not sure if he continued to play when he went to America, so it is likely they played for the same team at different times in their lives,” he said.
The king wrote a letter to the department of home affairs asking it to grant Lindsay citizenship after their meeting.
“Upon the murder of one of our own, Lindsay was left with two children under the age of two. They are both South African and American citizens. She wants to raise them in her husband’s country where she is safer. They must know their father’s language, culture, and large family. I’ve been following this issue. The lack of support has been seen across both sides,” the king wrote.
He pleaded that the government should expedite Lindsay’s application.
“It was promised publicly that the South African government would assist Mrs Myeni with citizenship, but it has not been done. I will be following up on this matter to check the status of this case.”
Home affairs spokesperson Siya Qoza confirmed the letter had been received by deputy minister Njabulo Nzuza and had been referred to the relevant officials.
“The department has established that Ms Myeni applied for a temporary visa. The outcome of this application should be available before the end of the coming week. The department has not found an application for citizenship by Ms Myeni.”
While Lindsay may be a step closer to obtaining citizenship, there are many hurdles to overcome.
On August 20 the Myeni family gathered at the Empangeni Cemetery to unveil Myeni’s tombstone.
“The day of the unveiling felt bittersweet. I felt relief, because it’s the closing of the mourning period and the role as makoti [wife] in the family. So it felt good to release myself from this season of struggle that I didn’t ask for — a season of not being able to control these major things happening in my life,” said Lindsay.
“I also felt sad, because I thought I was going to feel his spirit close to me that day and I didn’t. Instead I felt like he was releasing me as his wife. I don’t want to release him ever, so that was painful.”
With a civil lawsuit over Myeni’s death set down for September 2023, Lindsay intends to keep his legacy alive by launching a foundation in his name.
“I am in the process of launching the Lindani Myeni Foundation, where people can donate towards our goal of developing a rugby field and gym in his township of eSikhawini and [bringing] running water to his rural village in Ubombo.”
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