BULAWAYO – Local government minister Daniel Garwe has reacted angrily after Bulawayo mayor David Coltart recognised Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo as king of the Ndebele people.

Garwe wrote a two-page letter to Coltart stating that the country’s constitution recognised only chiefs, headmen and village heads.

Garwe said he learnt with “shock and utter disgust” of a meeting Coltart held with Khumalo “allegedly at your invitation and bidding.”

“As you may be aware, the government of Zimbabwe has over the years incessantly denounced and dissociated itself from a self-proclaimed ‘King’ Bulelani who illegally claims to be the legitimate heir to the now defunct throne of King Lobengula,” Garwe wrote in the letter dated April 23.

“The ministry would like to advise you as the mayor of the City of Bulawayo and any other functionary of the City of Bulawayo to desist from entertaining this charlatan self-styled ‘King’ Bulelani as such behaviour is not only criminal but has the negative effect of misleading the general public.”

The minister ended his letter by giving Coltart seven days to “advise me of the circumstances surrounding your invitation and entertainment of Bulelani, a foreign national.”

Coltart and town clerk Christopher Dube met Khumalo on April 21.

The mayor said following their meeting: “It was my great honour today to host Inkosi uBulelani Lobengula Khumalo for a courtesy meeting at City Hall.

“In a highly productive and fruitful meeting we discussed how our city can honour the proud history of King Mzilikazi and his descendants through recognition of important historical days and the development of culturally and historically significant sites, both in Bulawayo and its environs.

“We discussed how this will help not only respect culture, tradition and history but also boost Bulawayo’s tourist potential.”

Meanwhile, Matabeleland pressure group Ibhetshu LikaZulu has sprung to Coltart’s defence, insisting that Khumalo is “the rightful cultural leader of the Ndebele people.”

The group said in a statement: “We wish to make it unequivocally clear that King Bulelani Khumalo is not a self-appointed figure. His identification was the result of a rigorous, culturally grounded process led by experts in Ndebele traditions and the royal family, after an intense search and broad consultation.

“King Bulelani is a direct descendant of King Lobengula, the last sovereign King of the Ndebele nation before colonial forces violently disrupted our systems of governance and exiled his sons. In the eyes of the Ndebele people, King Bulelani is neither a foreigner nor an impostor, but a rightful heir and a symbol of their cultural continuity.

“It is thus entirely appropriate — indeed, a mark of respect and responsibility — for the mayor of Bulawayo, a city founded as the ancient capital of King Lobengula, to meet with the cultural leader of the people who elected him. It would be absurd and insulting for the mayor to turn his back on the rich cultural heritage of the society he serves under the pretext of political correctness.”

Ibhetshu LikaZulu, through its secretary general Mbuso Fuzwayo, said Garwe’s threats were “not mere threats against an individual, but a direct affront to the entire Ndebele people, who continue to hold King Mzilikazi and King Lobengula in the highest esteem.”

The group said instead of Garwe glorifying constitutional clauses that do not reflect the pre-colonial order, he should be steering constitutional amendments to restore the Ndebele monarchy.

“Constitutions in any democracy are not cast in stone but responsive to the will of the people so if this constitution has to be changed, so be it. We will strongly frown upon the use of the constitution to suppress our people who want to practise their cultural rights,” the statement added.

Khumalo, 41, was born in Port Elizabeth in South Africa. In September 2018, traditional leaders in Matabeleland and the Khumalo family crowned Bulelani as the new King of the Ndebele nation during a secret ceremony after going through a series of rites held across seven days.

Coltart declined to comment on Tuesday.