Royal succession should be clear to avoid legal disputes

The infighting over who must succeed the late King Goodwill Zwelithini has proven that royal succession, when the lineage is not clearly identified, can be a complicated matter.

In Limpopo, the Balobedu people are going through their own succession pain. For as far back as we can remember, the Balobedu were led by Queen Modjadji who, according to legend, had the ability to summon rain; hence she was referred to as the Rain Queen. Makobo Constance Modjadji, the sixth of the rain queens, died in 2005, leaving behind a young heiress, Masalanabo Modjadji.

A long-held belief was that Balobedu succession was matrilineal and males were not eligible for the throne. However, the Balobedu Royal Council has turned that on its head. It has chosen Princess Masalanabo’s brother, Prince Lekukela, as successor to Queen Makobo. This has angered ANC MP Mathole Motshekga, who has had custody of Princess Masalanabo since her mother’s death in 2005.

The princess was supposed to inherit the throne when she turns 18. Motshekga said an “illegitimate” Royal Council had installed a “puppet” so they could loot Balobedu funds. But the Balobedu regent insists the throne is not attached to any gender and that the Balobedu had been led by male rulers before.

“Our throne is not attached to any gender. “The terms king and queen are foreign to us. But to accommodate other languages we will use king and queen to avoid confusion. Our traditional rainmaking ceremonies have always been part of our culture, regardless of whether the ruler is male or female,” said Regent Mpapam Bakhoma Modjadji.

He said Princess Masalanabo would now take the role of great aunt. It is inevitable that either the government or the courts will have to intervene to settle this dispute. As with the Zulu royal family, the issue of succession is tearing this family apart.

Other traditional monarchs must take heed and identify clear lines of succession to protect the integrity of these traditional institutions, and ensure that the important issue of succession is not decided by the courts in future.