Royal show: Queen Sekhothali wears the iNdlovukazi Blanket which was unveiled in KwaNdebele recently. Photo: Chris Allan
“We have to play an active role in writing the history of our culture,” says Prince Thulani Gatsha Mrhetjha, who is also a Ndebele influencer. He said this at the recent unveiling of the iNdlovukazi Blanket in honour of Queen Sekhothali Mabhena in KwaNdebele.
She was born Princess Sekhothali Seeiso of the Kingdom of Lesotho and became queen of the Ndebele kingdom when she married King Makhosonke ii Mabhena in 2019.
The iNdlovukazi blanket is powerful — it has become a symbol of unity between two different cultures, the Basotho and Ndebele. The Queen consort’s blanket merges her Basotho culture with Ndebele culture.
“Keeping to the original umbhalo striped blanket, we added significant Basotho symbols, such as the crocodile, which is our totem, the hat, which symbolises the king’s crown, the shield, which is the coat of arms for his majesty, and corn, which is the staple food for the Basotho people,” Queen Sekhothali tells the Mail & Guardian.
Unity was key as people from different cultures gathered to celebrate two nations coming together.
“We saw this as a chance to promote unity and diversity. Irrespective of if I am a Ndebele, you are Sotho or Tswana, we can live together,” Prince Mrhetjha says.
Kerri Poolman, product development manager and account executive at Aranda, the oldest blanket manufacturer in South Africa, says it started engaging with the Ndebele Royal House through Prince Mrhetjha.
“As Aranda, even though we are the manufacturer of all traditional blankets, we can’t do things on our own, we can’t decide what people are going to wear or not wear — that is not what we are about,” she says.
Poolman says it is important for Aranda to form these kinds of relationships and it is proud of its collaboration with the royal family.
“We really are touching people’s lives and it is an incredible privilege,” she says.
The blankets are of very high quality and one might assume only the elite would be able to afford them, especially the iNdlovukazi Blanket, however, Aranda has made sure they are affordable for most.
“Pricing is something we look at all the time, especially in this economy with lots of challenges. “So, we are very aware of who the end user of our product is and it is so important that they can be affordable for the people they are meant to be used by.”
Prince Mrhetjha says this collaboration is part of archiving and preserving the Ndebele people’s culture.
“Every queen deserves their own blanket — that way people will be able to point at a queen’s reign through a blanket,” he says.
He was grateful for the collaboration as they were able to tell Aranda how their history is meant to be told, from their perspective. For the royal family, it is more than a blanket, it is a way they can preserve the Ndebele culture for future generations.
A local resident, who asked to stay anonymous, told the Mail & Guardian: “What an honour it is to have witnessed such a day. It is so amazing to see his majesty and the queen make sure that our culture will always remain strong.
“This blanket, to me, feels like a blanket the queen is putting over her nation, to make sure we are always in her warmth,” he says.
“It is extremely humbling as you can imagine that this role is not easy but, when you uphold yourself in the right manner and respect cultures, you tend to be proud.
“I am proud to be here and be part of such a great nation.”
“All we need to do is work together to ensure that we are protected and nurtured and keep it shining in the world,” Queen Sekhothali says.