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ROYALTY: Eric Nxumalo wants to be crowned king. PHOTO: BENSON NTLEMO

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THOUGH the Nhlapo Commission has rejected the demand by the Gaza kingdom that Eric Mpisane Nxumalo be made king, hundreds of people celebrated Nghunghunyane Day on Saturday.

Nxumalo is a descendant of warrior king Nghunghunyane, who died in exile in Portugal.

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Richard Baloyi addressed the crowd at the Giyani Tourism Centre, unofficially dubbed Nghunghunyane Square because it has a statue of the warrior.

The Nhlapo Commission rejected Nxumalo's kingship claim last year, saying he could not assume his grandfather's kingship because it ceased to exist in 1895 after he signed a treaty with the Portuguese.

Nxumalo said he was taking the matter to court and the case is set for November 5 and 6 in the Pretoria High Court.

"The government will give me what belongs to me," he said.

Nxumalo said he survived on money contributed by the community because they feel aggrieved by the Nhlapo Commission's outcome.

The push for the Nghunghunyane kingship also seems to be gaining ground, with Greater Giyani mayor Pat Hlungwani saying his municipality would be involved with the Gaza kingdom to plan for next year's event.

"It is a shame that at this time of the ANC government we are the only ones (Shangaans) who do not have a king," Hlungwani said.

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Sun May 19 00:26:40 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 1, 2012

DjEp

Eish, that is indeed sad, being the only tribe without a king!
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Oct 1, 2012

MommaC

'It is a shame that we Shangaans are the only ones who do not have a king'

No it isn't. Count your blessings. At least there is one group who are not milking us for tax. We'd all be better off if none of these silly little kingletts were around
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Oct 1, 2012

DrunkenMaster

Muvhango the return.
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Oct 1, 2012

warry

How many women are you planning to we'd and bed Nxumalo. Do nt be a fool, the Ngughunyane was never a king in South Africa but mozambique. Ngughunyane was the son of soshangane who was an induna to Ndwandwe(Nxumalo) defeated by shaka and soshangane ran away to mozambique and establish his kingom there know as Gaza, hence what you need to name your kingdom. Gaza is in mozambique, there is Gaza province there. Go to mozambique and save our tax. We sick and tired of you lazy ass.
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Oct 1, 2012

thembisan

What do you expect cause every shangaan person wants to be Zulu
Bhuti wamina
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Oct 1, 2012

Phuphethakatha

Nhlapo commission is on the ball here. They must claim their kingdom in Moz...
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Oct 1, 2012

TheMan2000

Nxumalo is the king of shangaan only who are the descendent of Nghunghunyani not the Tsongas. According to history the Tsongas didn't not have a paramount chief/king and are not descendents fo Nghunghunyani. Gazankulu was referred too as Gazankulu ya MaTsonga na MaShangana just to accommodate the Shangaans in the republic. The Shangaans moved to present day Thulamahashe/Bushbuckridge are after Nghunghunyani was arrested and taken to Poturgal, Nxumalo was taken to Xipilongo (Levubu) by missionaries then moved to Tshibufhe then to Xaswita (Nkovani). Nxumalo and his people were actually chased from Tshibufhe and Xaswita and were moved to the present day Magona village. Most of the MaTsonga people were staying at the Thulamela area and along the Rivhumbye (Levuvu) river streching to the present day Elim.
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Oct 1, 2012

skwamasamabele

No more f**king parasites, as if we dont have enough of these leeches already
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Oct 1, 2012

malemaforpresident

Why now? i thought shangaan and tsonga are the same.
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Oct 1, 2012

Honeybadger

If you shangaans are fighting for land maybe we should consider sending your friends the vendas to take back their land
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