The British High Commissioner to South Africa, Ann Grant, will on Sunday take part in a symbolic ”releasing ceremony” of amaHlubi king Langalibalele who died in captivity in 1889.
The king’s great-grandson Prince Bekithemba Langalibalele said the ceremony in Estcourt would be significant because the king died while under house arrest and was still regarded as a prisoner.
He said Grant was expected to hand over the king’s symbols of authority which were taken away during his arrest. They would be handed to his successor King Muziwenkosi, whose official title is King Langalibalele the Second.
British High Commission press officer Nick Sheppard said Grant had already donated gifts of food and cows towards the event and would also present the amaHlubi nation with an ”antique royal chair” which was obtained with the help of the amaHlubi.
Sheppard said the ceremony was one of reconciliation and not about ”judging events of yesterday by standards of today”.
He said it was also about acknowledging what happened in the past and ”looking how we can meet today’s challenges”.
The amaHlubi say king Langalibalele was born in the Umzinyati area in Utrecht in 1818 and was regarded by some as semi-sacred and a man of supernatural powers.
After a skirmish with Zulu king Mpande in 1848 he settled his people around the Klip River but after a few years they were forced to move by British colonial authorities and relocated to Estcourt.
The amaHlubi say hundreds of their people were killed and at least 7 000 livestock taken because of the king’s resistance to the Natal government and the British masters.
The king was sent to Robben Island for life in 1874. In 1887 he was allowed to return to KwaZulu Natal and died under house arrest in 1889.
Prince Langalialele said the amaHlubi won part of their land back in 2000 under the government land restitution programme and the release of king Langalialele by the British High Commissioner was another step in breaking the chains of the past.
A working committee has also been established to revive the amaHlubi language and culture. – Sapa