MBHOKANE's family waits for emalobolo
LUDZIDZINI – While talk around traditional circles is on who will succeed the late Jim Gama as Governor of Ludzidzini Royal Residence, it has emerged that the position carries a lucrative salary plus a br-ide price (em-alobolo).
On offer for the eventual appointee is a monthly salary of E35 937 plus cattle.
However, royalty has not yet paid emalobolo for Jim Petros Gama despite that he was appointed into traditional office 10 years ago. Royalty has, however, acknowledged the matter, saying it was an oversight.
The royalists differed on the number of cattle owed to the Gamas, with some saying 22 cattle should have be offered while others said one cow would have been enough.
A governor of Ludzidzini is treated in a similar manner when he is appointed into this position.
The post is vacant now after the death of Gama last month. Our royal informants said several people were lobbying for the post because of its influence.
investment
"There are people who see it as an investment opportunity to become the governor. They think this way because a governor’s household is entitled to cattle after the appointment and the cattle are offered to them to confirm the governor’s union with royalty. That means the governor assumes the status of a member of the royal family," he said.
T.V. Mtetwa, the acting Governor of Ludzidzini Royal Residence, said the appointed governor’s household indeed receives some cattle as emalobolo. He said it was not true that 22 or 50 cattle were offered, saying even one beast could be enough.
Mtetwa said he and one Bafana Maseko of Zondwako offered a bull to the family of the then Lusaseni Governor Vusumuzi Bhembe.
According to Swazi culture, payment of cattle to the governor’s family symbolises status transfer that ultimately legitimises the governor’s union with royalty.
By virtue of his position as traditional Prime Minister, he becomes a Royal family member.
Royalty is, therefore, customarily obliged to treat him like a bride who assumes her husband’s family name.
The governor, who also assumes the position of Chairman of the Ludzidzini Royal Council is supposed to spend most of his time with royalty.
Princesses
Tradition has it that his daughters, according to royal insiders, born after he had assumed royal status, should be treated as princesses.
It effectively means a man eager to marry a governor’s daughter should afford to pay high royal bride prices.
A man who marries a princess may be ordered to pay 25 or 50 cattle. If he is wealthy enough, he may even part with 75 cattle.
However, custom dictates that the groom’s community should help him pay the price.
It was an oversight, says TV Mtetwa
LUDZIDZINI - T. V. Mtetwa, acting Governor of Ludzidzini Royal Residence, has acknowledged that Jim Gama’s household never received the ‘bride price’in the form of cattle.
He said this was an oversight. He said it was true that a governor, according to Swazi culture, was treated like a bride.
"I don’t know what really happened. I was acting Governor before Gama took over as Indvuna. I went back to Zombodze after he came and I don’t actually know what happened after that. In fact, emalobolo (the bride price) should have been offered immediately after his appointment," said Mtetwa.
Gama worked as a reporter for the defunct Umbiki, a government owned vernacular newspaper. He then worked as a technician at Swazi-land Broadcasting and Information Services (SBIS) before he introduced a popular problem solving programme known as Khalamdumbadu-mbane alongside Anson Dla-mini. He was buried two weeks ago at Malindza, his native community. Mtetwa said there was still time to correct what went wrong. He said Gama was not merely a king’s headman but represented royalty in its entirety. According to him, such decisions were not taken unilaterally by the king but royalty should have made it a point that Gama’s family received emalobolo. Since emalobolo were not meant to benefit Gama in his personal capacity, he said, his family would now receive the cattle.
Negotiations on the number of cattle
LOZITHA – Only royalty and Gama’s family can reach an agreement over lukhalo (number of cattle) supposed to be offered as emalobolo, says Chief Logc-ogco.
He said it was true that culture dictated that a ‘bride price’ should be paid to a governor of Ludzidzini but wondered why the matter was never discussed while Gama was still alive.
Logcogco, said emalobolo could be paid even after the death of a bride.
He said, in terms of quantity or substance, there was no stipulated figure, except that royalty and the family of the governor should agree on the value.
He said King Sobhuza II taught them that even five cents could be valued as a cow if two families involved in negotiations for emalobolo agreed on this amount of money.
Logcogco is Chairman of Liqoqo, an advisory committee to His Majesty King Mswati III. He comes from a Royal House that produces a Senior Prince.
He is also Chief of Gundvwini.
"That is why even a poor man must also have a wife. You can’t, therefore, say we, as royalty, must pay, say, 50 cattle to Gama’s family. We have to reason with them because Gama was part of the royal family," he said.
He said royalty was in charge of Gama’s funeral, an indication that he was a royal family member by virtue of his position as Umngani WeMakhosi (a friend of His Majesty and Her Majesty).
"The acting Governor sent Dibanisa to Gama’s funeral to represent royalty. Therefore, you can see that he was one of us," he said.
Comments
The argument about how many cattle is invalid, what is lilobolo? How can you pay 1 cow if ulobola? As for kulotjolwa yi royal family. It would be an insult to pay 1 cow saying nilobola kaGama yet when he has a child born during his time as Govenor it is expected that the groom pays 25 to even 70 cattle! It doesn't make sense. Let's be honest here and not be smart ngelite, just give the cattle required to pay emalobolo just like the ones paid on emakhosikati finish and klaar not lobucili lesenifuna kubenta. This issue should have been addressed ten years ago but hey since the vultures were busy looting the kings money, it was an oversight. I feel pity for our king because wonelwa ngunaba labamlandzela onkhe malanga benta shengatsi bayamtsandza kani bayamncutsa. Jim Gama was a nobleman that feared no one but principled. Today we see people lobbying for the position as in to why God knows! The next thing will be our children getting lost and cow dung stolen! Nikani baka Gama lokungekwabo, niphindze nibonge imisebenti yakhe alale ngekuthula not to make an issue out if what you shouldve done ages ago. Thank you
Apr 3, 2011, 9:19 AM, mvalo (mvalo23@gmail.com)
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