What does the Zulu kingdom do for us?
A few of my non-Zulu friends took time to ask why are we Zulu’s so passionate about this Zulu thing, these calls came when the King had just passed. I guess they saw the unexplainable passion from zulus in general and regiments who were untouchable.
The context of the question was clear, does the kingdom do anything for the people there?
My response is as follows:
The pride is unmatched.
(knowing who you are vs colonial agenda)
The pride we have for our kingdom is unmatched, I guess the blood of our forefathers still runs in our genes, every time a Zulu hymn is rendered something moves within us. Anyone who has taken time to study the true Zulu history, usually falls in love with who they are or where they come from, inspired by the bravery and greatness of their forefathers.
For me, this pride is part of a recipe to fight the colonial agenda in the future. The colonisers knew that it wasn’t enough to defeat us on the battlefield and chain us on the legs and wrists, they went on to destroy our CULTURE, LANGUAGE and SPIRITUALITY.
So the fight against it will require the reverse mechanism to revival all of these parts of our lives. That’s why, personally I’m deliberate about loving uZulu, it’s history and heritage, I’m hopeful for the result that out children will better know and love who we are.
Do we pay taxes?
There are perceptions, which by the way I also had, 2 or 3 years back, that iSilo is NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR US. But I have recently learnt about the agenda of the whites in bankrupting the Zulu kingdom’s economy. Of the hundreds of people who who were fined for this and that, there is also 60 000 cows that was asked for King Cetshwayo’s charges for ISandlwana war. All the rich and fertile land was also taken by white fathers living us totally crippled economically so that we can go be their cheap labour.
When king Zwelithini took over, they even wanted to take away his father’s palace house that was built by the whites, if think it was for kings Solomon. At this time he was so broke, and could not afford the payment they were asking for.
So when this 22 year old king took powers he jumped onto a super BROKE kingdom, he was personally going to eNkanjini(Endalini) to start buying cows, ephemba, and they say he was personally driving his tracker planting the fields. God almighty was merciful to his labour, his fields and animal multiplied magically, kwaba neNala kwaKhetha. That’s why he named his first palace and regiment, eNaleni and INala, respectively. ‘Umthunduluka ovuthwe ngeNala’ wakokaThayiza.
He never looked back in farming, even now he still had farms, animals, grape fields that’s where the Bayede wine come from, apparently.
Let’s pause there. The Zulu nation was not asked to contribute taxes to resuscitate Mdlokombane’s kraal. His OWN hard work did. I guess by the time the nation was paying the 200 cows for its queen Mtanenkosi, the royal house had revived itself.
Then the political side also fought for by uMntwana wakwaPhindangene to have some budget for the kingdom, and deliberations with the ANC government eventually concluded on the budget for the iNgonyama trust, and also the Land under the Ingonyama Trust. (Still a topic for researched on my side).
I still don’t know how the +-R80M is allocated between uSuthu tribal authority and other tribal authorities. And if by any chance, the funds are shared with all tribal/traditional authorities in KZN, and izinduna which are now paid salaries, then let’s not even start discussing what happens to that money because ayikho ikhona. It might as well host uMkhosi Womhlanga noweLembe, uphele lapho.
Ingonyama land
So whatever agreements were held regarding iNgonyama trust land, works for us rural people, as we speak in 2021, am about to pay only R1200 for huge land where we gonna build my museum and an event centre, with accommodation areas, try that anywhere else and see.
There areas where people are ripped off but land is “free” under iNgonyama Trust land.
The throne is devine
Also linked to the passion that we can’t describe, there is some higher power, or divinity that we seem to trace with all the kings and the throne of our kingdom. The recent, that I also saw, was the rain, the one I have never seen in Nongoma since birth and nearing 40 years and I did tweet about it a few times. The elders say that rain was announcing the passing of the king,
Animals in the wilderness were heard roaring when the king passed, anyone who was in Nongoma can tell you rain gimmicks through out the mourning to the burial day.
The way the late king was born was announced also by a prophet who came before the queen could even knew she was already pregnant, how the king was hit by sickness only to be healed same time by reviving uSuthu Royal palace as per the dream of one of the queen mothers.
There is just too much divinity that we can’t explain, I guess some of the passion we, ourselves, can’t explain relates to this divinity.
Can the kingdom do more for us?
Indeed there are things I do not understand why iNgonyama trust doesn’t have, like a bursary scheme, even if it’s for 10 learners to start with. If We have mines under a trust’s land, I’m sure those mines owe us a share in their mine profits that iNgonyama trust can use for community building funding. Even the mining chatter can be used to drive this.
I could be talking from ignorance but I’m so sure, we can do better, futhi there is youth that can be engaged kwaNongoma to drive such with the kings mandate, dare I say, we can make things happen!
If you look at Royal Bafokeng, it’s doing much much better in this aspect. We must still consider is has the RUCH platinum and they were VERY lucky to survive the land act axe, due to friendships with trustworthy white man at the time, that returned when times allowed. (Story for another day)
Economise the passion (other cultures/nation did)
We see and dance to foreign passion and events which in turns benefits foreign markets, e.g. Valentine’s Day, easters, xmas, white superheroes, etc.
If we can create much passion and excitement around Shaka, for example, have a Shaka Zulu superhero, that dresses in locally made accessories, let our kinds find passionate in umqhele, you have created a market for jobs creation as opposed to my son being crazy about Spider-Man, I have bought a school bag, book, hat, almost everything with Spider-Man.
If we continue to need motivation the passion of our own culture & things, that should tells you how much a psychological damage we have gone through, while there is no question why we passionate about Jesus, Mohamed, Valentine, Easter, Sundays (From Sun Gods), Birthdays & their cakes, Hulk, and all these foreign things, which ends up taking money and creating interest & markets in foreign destinations like Jerusalem, Disney land, etc.
Can we have passion that gonna make Nongoma or uLundi a tourist attraction and create jobs for our mothers, father and youth in rural areas.
Think about umhlonyane, even these other small bottle oils we were inhaling for Covid-19, uMsuzwane nje leyanto, but we lost it all as we were ripped of our ways of life, now we must buy it from elsewhere. Allow us to bring back the passion and all that we lost with our African passions, maybe we can rip some fruits later.
Respect the throne,
Even if we are unhappy, for instance, with how a particular king runs business, we still respect his authority and the power of his throne. If we dare spit on it or disrespect it, it will be difficult to come back an expect that our next generations respects it, say then we have a king that has beautiful dreams and initiatives for the nation, but nobody shows up when he calls because the throne is now a useless disrespected thing. Truth be told, we would have damaged the power and authority of that throne such that it won’t do anything for us anymore, and has no one to blame but ourselves.
So even if we are not aligned with the king, we understand that the kingdom and throne requires us to bow with honour and wait for the day redemption/changes comes.
Even when he is wrong, he is right, umlomo ongathethi manga!
We are hopeful that youth engagement channels will one day open. Even if they still don’t open, we shall remain disciplined soldiers so that our children will have this beautiful heritage and inheritance to cherish, and a respectable throne that they can work with.
Sibonge, nina beNyathi kaNdaba ejame ngomkhonto phezu koMzimvubu.