Tears were shed for the late Xhosa king Zwelonke Sigcawu, who was remembered for being a community developer and unifier by people who spoke at his official memorial service in East London on Wednesday.
Sigcawu was fondly remembered for being a humble leader at the moving ceremony at the Abbotsford Christian Centre in East London. It was attended by about 150 mourners dressed in traditional regalia.
Among those present were Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane, former National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete and education MEC Fundile Gade.
A royal family spokesperson, Nkosi Zweliyadinga Makinana, said Sigcawu had united the family to the point where it would be easy to appoint the next person to fill the throne.
“He was an ambassador of goodwill. Within a short space of time since he was crowned king, he managed to unite the two families of AmaXhosa, AmaRharhabe and AmaGcaleka,” Makinana said.
To keep the legacy alive, Makinana said, they would continue with his Xhosa Carnival concert, the Easter Tournament for football and netball and his projects developing the Wild Coast and agriculture in the area.
Tears shed for ‘a humble king of the people’
Image: Randell Roskruge
Tears were shed for the late Xhosa king Zwelonke Sigcawu, who was remembered for being a community developer and unifier by people who spoke at his official memorial service in East London on Wednesday.
Sigcawu was fondly remembered for being a humble leader at the moving ceremony at the Abbotsford Christian Centre in East London. It was attended by about 150 mourners dressed in traditional regalia.
Among those present were Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane, former National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete and education MEC Fundile Gade.
A royal family spokesperson, Nkosi Zweliyadinga Makinana, said Sigcawu had united the family to the point where it would be easy to appoint the next person to fill the throne.
“He was an ambassador of goodwill. Within a short space of time since he was crowned king, he managed to unite the two families of AmaXhosa, AmaRharhabe and AmaGcaleka,” Makinana said.
To keep the legacy alive, Makinana said, they would continue with his Xhosa Carnival concert, the Easter Tournament for football and netball and his projects developing the Wild Coast and agriculture in the area.
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“In the family, he never divided us according to our seniority. We know what he was striving for. It will be easy to carry the baton from where he left.”
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chair Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana lauded Sigcawu for his unifying role among all traditional leaders in the province.
“He was not amused that the constitution had not been amended to address our challenges. What was paramount to him was what his people needed.
“He taught us that a traditional leader is a traditional leader because of the people. We will miss him.”
Mabuyane said they had worked well with Sigcawu on development matters.
“We are looking forward to the Xhosa kingdom giving us a leader of his calibre to continue from where he left off,” Mabuyane said.
“We must make it that his people are developed as he wished”
Sigcawu will be buried on Friday at his Nqadu great place. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to read the eulogy.
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