Bayete Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V

The Nkosini, the headquarters of Maseko Ngoni’s crowning ground is small in size, not more that 80 metres by 40 metres, but its surrounding of hard stone mountains gives it’s the authority and right place for crowning yet another influential Traditional Authority of all political times.

As you approach Lizwe La Zulu (mispronounced as Lizulu by many), the crowd grows bigger, many in animal skins from head gears to noisy tin garbs around their ankles.

The women are either in short skirts, showing part of their backs as they wrap their breasts only with overflowing beads.

Suddenly a group of men, starts chanting “bayete Nkosi”, another makes stabbing gestures with his spear while another pretends to throw his club, obviously their staggering movements confirm an eye detection, they are drunk.

Beer both Traditional and Modern glassed have been flowing since Friday, Lizulu, well known for its vegetable and fruit market is filled to the beam, but added to its market are many local barbecue of goat and beef, another identity of the Ngoni.

There are four distinct features of this tribe: Beer, Meat, Women and Ngoma- their Traditional Dance, expressed mainly to show the strength and power.

That power translates into Ngwenyama or to say Lion. It is another day to crown another Lion, Mswati Willard Kanjedza Gomani, as Ngwenyama Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V.

A Maseko Ngoni Kingdom, that has been full of tragedy, but national heroes who never accepted any external influence to govern them. That is why up today, minus the regents that  have acted before, Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani’s have remained free of any political influence or blunders as their cousins up North under Inkosi ya Makosi Mbelwa IV.

To reach to Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V, the First one was executed by the Portuguese for waging a war against them, the second one by the British after he was arrested for protesting against declaration of Nyasaland as a British protectorate.

Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani the Third, the longest serving who died in 2006 at 84, protested against the declaration of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and was detained at Kanjedza prior to independence hence he gave his son, the future Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani the IV the name Kanjedza.

The three great Inkosi’s at every opportunity protested against occupation and fought in the interests of Malawians. The second Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani is well documented of his support to John Chilembwes uprising.

The coronation of Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani the Fifth, marks an end to a debate on his qualification, a straight forward tradition of the Ngoni that the First Born Son of the King inherits the Kingdom. The dabate and court cases were very strange arguments that no Ngoni could make sense out of them.

Mswati, who was declared Crown Prince in 2007 after the death of his father when he was only 13, is also a mark in generation shift. Here is the first Ngoni King on Facebook, Twitter and in all sense modern.

He is still at school at the Country’s only grammar school, the best of Africa that British media calls is “Eton of Africa” the Kamuzu Academy. His dream as he told local media is to study Law after completing his A levels in the next two years.

No wonder, when the many drunks, sang and danced in praise on Sunday afternoon, they had all reasons to be proud of the Young King, who arrived in full Ngoni regalia after being crowned in the morning before the official Government event in the afternoon.

After the coronation, he went to dress in his Ngoni official General Uniform, shook hands with President Joyce Banda and all the speeches, from the Clergy to the Presidency, all confirmed that the Ngwenyama was in his cave.

President Joyce Banda did not disappoint to this event, perhaps her only opportunity to crown a second Paramount Chief after Mtemi wa Temi Kyungu before she goes to her first election ballot. She wore the Traditional Ngoni attire right from her meeting with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to the event.

The event was worth the effort everyone put into it!

Bayete Ngwenyama Gomani V!