THE Bulawayo High Court has banned the planned coronation of Bulelani Khumalo as the new Ndebele Kinga after self-imposed King Peter Zwide KaLanga Khumalo successfully won an interdict stopping the ceremony.
The traditional ceremony was slated for Babourfields Stadium on Saturday.
Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Martin Makonese, granted the interdict in favour of Zwide Khumalo Friday, after all the three respondents, Crown Council Chairperson Chief Mathema, Royal Crown trust and Bulelani Khumalo failed to turn up for the hearing.
Peter Khumalo had, on Wednesday, filed an urgent chamber application challenging the coronation of Bulelani Khumalo arguing that he was the rightful heir to the throne.
In his sworn affidavit, Peter Khumalo said a series of meetings conducted by the Khumalo royal family on the revival of the Ndebele kingship identified him as the heir to King Lobengula who was overthrown by UK proxy, the British South Africa Police in 1893.
In a related matter, government envoys dispatched to meet with Matabeleland traditional Chiefs over the revival of the Ndebele kingship met stiff resistance from the Mthwakazi Republic Party members who disrupted the meeting.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa had dispatched Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu and Local Government minister July Moyo to discuss the issue, following government`s ban of the coronation of Bulelani Khumalo.
The meeting which was held at a city hotel was adjourned midway after members of the separatist party blocked the entrance of the hotel and anti-riot police had to be dispatched to quell the demonstration.
Addressing the crowd soon after the adjournment of the meeting President of the Chiefs Council Fortunce Charumbira said the meeting could not continue because the matter had been taken to the courts.
“We have to wait for the completion of the court process. The court outcome will give us direction, that is why the minister (July Moyo) had to excuse himself from the meeting since he has been cited as one of the respondents,” said Chief Charumbira.
Police had to use force to break the protest and fired teargas into the rioting crowd forcing them to disperse.
After the adjournment of the meeting, the protestors moved to the Bulawayo High Court where the outcomes of two urgent chamber applications were expected to be delivered.
Crown Council chairperson, Chief Mathema, also lodged an appeal to the High Court on Thursday challenging government’s decision to ban the coronation ceremony.
