Royalty of Africa

[Etienne,DuchessofBurgundy]

Wife No 11
24/08/2003 17:17 - (SA)

Mbabane - Southern Africa's last absolute monarch, Swaziland's King Mswati III, has picked his 11th bride - and has already paid an "admission of guilt" fine for courting a virgin.

The Times Sunday newspaper reported that Noliqwa Ntentesa, 17, was escorted to the palace by the same royal aides who landed in court last year for allegedly kidnapping the king's 10th bride, a schoolgirl.

That case made international headlines as the mother of Zena Mahlangu charged the two men with abducting her daughter - in a first for the 35-year-old King Mswati, whose father, King Shobuza II, had more than 70 wives at the time of his death in 1982.

The mother eventually decided to postpone the case indefinitely.

Chastity rite

Last week, King Mswati, also known as the "Ngonyama" (lion), paid a fine for breaking the "Umchwasho" chastity rite which bars young maidens from sex for five years.

The rule is an attempt to combat a high HIV/Aids rate in the tiny country.

The king introduced the chastity rite, under which unmarried women under 23 known as Imbali YeMaswati (flowers of the nation) must wear "don't touch me" woollen tassels, in September 2001.

The weekend newspaper said King Mswati had now paid an "admission of guilt" fine of one head of livestock for breaking the chastity rite, confirming speculation that Ntentesa was the newest arrival in his string of wives.

"Noliqwa is now an official bride to the king and she is very happy about the latest developments, and she has accepted that her future is with the royal family," a source close to her family said.

Ntentesa's father, a maths lecturer at the University of Swaziland, said he would have challenged his daughter's "abduction" in court, but did not have the money to do so.

The newspaper said Ntentesa was expected to be paraded as the king's new bride during the annual reed dance in September, a traditional ceremony where young maidens dance bare-breasted in front of the king for him to choose his next wife.

Ntentesa is said to be enjoying the royal life in a luxurious guesthouse next door to the queen mother.

She has been assigned a messenger to report all her needs to the king, is driving a five-series BMW and freely uses a royal credit card to finance her needs and entertain her friends.

[Etienne,DuchessofBurgundy]

Botswana gets first female chief


Seboko says she respects tradition but wants to move forward
A single mother and former bank manager has been officially installed as Botswana's first female paramount chief.
Draped with a leopard skin to mark her authority Mosadi Seboko on Saturday became one of the most powerful female tribal leaders in Africa.

Female traditional leaders are rare in Africa but following the death of her brother and father - the former paramount chief of the Balete people - elders selected her as their leader in 2001.

But partly because some men challenged her legitimacy, her official inauguration ceremony was delayed until now.

A relative said she had all the right qualities for her new position.

Before the time had not yet come, now the time has come for a woman to be leader

Galatwe Kgari
"She is a born chief. She is calm, she is caring... she is intelligent," said Leabile Mokgosi, one of her uncles, at the ceremony on Saturday.

Others said it was appropriate to have a woman as chief now.

"Before the time had not yet come, now the time has come for a woman to be leader," said Galatwe Kgari.

As paramount chief she is one of eight traditional leaders in the country and presides over matters of community disputes among the Balete people, who number some 30,000.

She also oversees the tribal lands and serves in the House of Chiefs.

She is among two women chiefs in the 15-member House of Chiefs, where she has been appointed chairwoman.

The House of Chiefs advises the government on matters of custom and tribal property.

'Buffalo's strength'

Thousands flocked to the village of Ramotswa, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of the capital, Gaborone, to catch a glimpse of the new paramount chief.

The five-hour ceremony was also attended by the president, priests, chiefs, diplomats and community leaders.

Poems comparing Ms Seboko's power and strength to the buffalo, the symbol of the Balete, were recited. In her hands she held a shield and a spear.


Church leaders have given Seboko their blessing
"Use it if troubles come, but it's best to use your mouth to fight," said another of her uncles, Mareko Mosiele, as he handed her a spear.

In a speech, Ms Seboko said she would honour tradition while moving her people forward.

"I feel honoured and humbled to be part of a tradition and history... Rally beside me with tolerance as we take the Balete forward."

She also spoke of the need to fight Aids in Botswana - which has the highest HIV infection rate in the world, with about one in three adults carrying the virus.

Cattle, a symbol of wealth in Botswana, is traditionally given as a gift.

But keeping in line with new traditions, the new paramount chief was presented with a Toyota four-by-four pick-up truck filled with household gadgets - a washing machine, vacuum cleaner, computer and printer.

Paying homage to an Angolan king


By Zoe Eisenstein
Angola


Angola's traditional leaders do not have much power these days in the realm of official politics.


Anyone is allowed to approach the king

But they are still considered to be extremely significant as community leaders and many Angolans, particularly in rural areas, turn to them in times of trouble.

One of the country's most important traditional leaders today is King Ekuikui IV of Bailundo, a city in central Huambo province.

The man who is also described as "the King of Kings", because he is the highest ranking traditional leader in the region, is a key figure for Angola's Ovimbundu ethnic group and Bailundo is their spiritual homeland.

Whisky for king

Cockerels, cigarettes, whisky and wine are the offerings visitors must take to the King of Bailundo - if they want an invitation to his royal court.

I'm happy to do that [pay homage] in the kingdom of my own ethnic group

Sousa Jamba

I joined Sousa Jamba, an Ovimbundu and an Angolan, to pay our respects and we were able to negotiate a good price for two cockerels at Bailundo's main market.

"We should have brought him some tobacco," worries Mr Jamba.

Going to the king's court is very important to Mr Jamba, who has just returned to his native Angola after 27 years living in exile in London.

'Respect'

Mr Jamba says he has travelled around Africa, and paid homage to the Buganda kingdom in Uganda and other kingdoms in West Africa but is happy to be doing so before his own king.


The kingdom was untouched by the 30 year-long civilian war

"I respect him as much as an English person would give respect to the royal family," he says.

The king's court is just a short drive away from the town centre.

We are welcomed by a crowd of people who are ululating and singing praises for the king.

King Ekuikui leads us through the calm of Mbala Kingdom under the cool shade of trees.

It seems to have been untouched by the civil war that raged across Angola for nearly three decades.

Speaking in Umbundu language through my interpreter, Mr Jamba, the King, who is accompanied by several men, explains that they [men] all play important roles in his kingdom.

"Nobody here has just walked in from the street - these are people from within the court and each figure here has got a function that he plays within the court," he says.

He introduces me to "the secretary of the trial", who he says takes notes at any trials that are conducted and collects fines. Cases vary from adultery to theft, he tells me.

Firekeeper

"If the king dies he has the duty of calling all the other minor kingdoms or families within the lineage so they can have elections to choose another one and in the absence of the king there are some issues he will deal with promptly," the king said.



Mr Jamba says the visit to the King was a 'religious experience'
I am also introduced to the firekeeper of the kingdom, whose post was once very important.

The king says that this man is still responsible for ensuring the kingdom has access to fire.

For Mr Jamba, one of the strengths of the kingdom is that rules are not rigid so they have been able to change with the times.

"It is very interesting - this is a very peaceful place, very spiritual, very serene," he says.

Although we are surrounded by some banana plantations and trees, he tells me that he feels deeply connected to his past.

"In a way it's almost like a religious experience because this is connecting my ethnic group... to history," Mr Jamba explains.

It is time to leave King Ekuikui's court but the he invites Mr Jamba to come back soon - and if he gives him plenty of notice and brings a bigger offering, he is even promised a dance!

[madonna23]

I saw "The Silences of the Palace" (a movie about a young servant-girl who lived in the palace of the last Tunisian bey) a while back and I was wondering if anyone knows anything about Tunisian royalty. I know that currently Tunisia is not governed by royalty but if anyone knows anything about the royal family (like whether or not there are any heirs left :flower: ), please post.

[Layla]

madonna

According to my information, Tunisia was a semi-monarchy as it was a protectorate of the Ottoman Empire, and the Bey was assigned by the Ottoman Sultan. Whether he was of Turkish or Tunisian origin needs to be checked out. I will do some research.

[Layla]

Here are some palace iamges of Tunisia I came across:

Palais du Gouverneur Mustapha Supérieur. ca. 1890

Crownhall of Palais Bey. ca. 1890

[Julia]

Burundian princess for president


(Michel Euler, AP)

Paris - After living in exile for nearly 35 years, a Burundian princess and former fashion model is returning to her native country to run for president.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/...639550,00.html

[Toledo]

Anyone knows if Princess Esther Kamatari was part of this years election. She wanted to restore the monarchy in Burundi:

Burundian princess for president

[rchainho]

African highness stops in at Salem school
By David Liscio
Tuesday, August 23, 2005SALEM - Ask most people if they've seen the African queen and they'll likely recall the movie in which Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn slug through mosquito-infested swamps aboard a rickety steamboat.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/ar..._african_queen/
School welcomes African queen Visit offers cultural lesson
By Lisa Capone, Globe Correspondent | August 21, 2005
Students at Salem's Greenhouse School took a crash course in East African culture this summer -- and it shows. They can rattle off the meaning behind each color of the flag of Uganda, and then croon a sweet rendition of the anthem of Buganda, a Ugandan kingdom. And especially important this week, they've got the proper protocol for singing it in public down cold.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200508160559.html
King Mswati III Calls for More Financial Support From Partners
August 16, 2005 Maputo
The King of Swaziland, Mswati III, said in Maputo on Monday that his country is facing the same challenges as Mozambique in terms of development, hence the need for cooperation partners to grant more financial resources to tackle these obstacles.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa...1756270,00.html
Swazi king ends no-sex rite
18/08/2005 22:52 - (SA)Mbabane - Swaziland's absolute monarch King Mswati III has ordered an end to a five-year no-sex rite for teenage girls, who had to pledge chastity and wear woollen "do not touch me" tassles in a bid to halt the spread of Aids. Reports said Swaziland's maidens would forsake their tassles and the "umchwasho" chastity pledge on August 22, ahead of the annual reed dance ceremony, where the king was expected to choose yet another new bride.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_...70108876C518193
Rebel queen stands by her man
August 10 2005 at 10:59AM Swazi Queen, Sibonelo Mngomezulu was always a bit of a wild child. She traded in dolls for soccer boots as a teenager when she joined a team at a time when few women were involved in the sport.
Her father had achieved what few black men of his time could in becoming a lawyer and actively encouraged his children to educate themselves and be independent.

King Mswati III bidden farewell
http://www.bahraintribune.com/Artic...29&CategoryId=1

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_...71140943C393889
Queen Mother fears for stricken Swazis Beauregard Tromp
August 09 2005 at 08:18AM In Swaziland, where the HIV and Aids prevalence rate is estimated at 42 percent, the disempowered status of women is seen as one of the main reasons for the spread of the disease.

http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx...ticleid=246513
Swazi king signs new Constitution, keeps powers
Africa's last absolute monarch, King Mswati III, on Tuesday signed Swaziland's first Constitution, which preserves his sweeping powers and still outlaws political parties.

Royal News Swazi Ruler King Mswati Snubs Constitution
http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/entertainment/72912004.htm

Swazi king rejects constitution
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4676173.stm

Swazi King in Ilobolo Scandal
http://allafrica.com/stories/200507110192.html

Swaziland King welcomed
http://www.bahraintribune.com/Artic...93&CategoryId=0

Swazi King visits Alba
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Stor...W&IssueID=28114

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/zones/...1120221999.aspx
Ndebele king dies
Friday July 01, 2005 14:46 - (SA)

http://www.sabcnews.com/south_afric...,107512,00.html
King's sudden death shocks nation

Rain Queen's mysterious death could signal end of dynasty
By Christopher Munnion in Johannesburg (Filed: 21/06/2005) Telegraph
http://www.royalarchive.com/index.p...id=882&Itemid=2

Swazi king weds 18-year-old as 12th wife
Mon June 13, 2005 MBABANE (Reuters)
http://www.royalarchive.com/index.p...id=850&Itemid

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Stor...W&IssueID=28116
Swaziland King visits key offices

Queen of Swaziland? Let me join the queue
Victoria Coren June 5 2005 The Observer
http://www.royalarchive.com/index.p...id=826&Itemid=2

Royals plan a lavish wedding

By Stephanie Saville.This article was originally published on page 4 of The Mercury on June 29, 2005
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_...70918589C520234

Thousands turn out for Royal wedding
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_...03517665C521854

Princess bride dances at her Zulu ceremony
http://www.themercury.co.za/index.p...ticleId=2611130

[Toledo]

Hoping we get some more interest links in the other Royal Families besides the Euro-Asian monarchies. The monarchy system in Africa resembles to me much of the feeling in the monarchies in India. The leader has an historical connection to the territory and it's people so strong that even transcends the fact that most of these countries are officially republics.

[Toledo]

Ghana king's burial ends long feud

...The funeral of Ghana's Dagbon king ended four years of uncertainty as two clans disputed how best to choose his successor. The BBC's Kwaku Sakyi-Addo looks at what this means for a group of people whose traditions sometimes seem at odds with modern Ghana.

[MissKrr]

The lesser known royal families always fascinate me because their goals are the same as those of more famous royals: to do what's best for their country. But African royals seem to do it with less international support. Thanks for sharing info about them, Toledo!

[Toledo]

Your welcome :) , just trying to add some variety to the daily menu we have on Leti, Maxima, Mary, Will and Harry, the Monaco clan etc. The world has more royalty outside of Europe nowadays so it's good to get aquainted with other monarchical forms.

[Toledo]

The reclaimed history man the death of Professor A Adu Boahen, history professor at the University of Ghana on May 27 2006

Professor A Adu Boahen, who died last month, debunked patronising, Eurocentric histories of Africa.
June 6, 2006 5:10 PM

some quotes from the link:

Adu Boahen, however, managed to shake off the infection of African inferiority that his education at Legon had sought to inflict on him, and when he obtained a scholarship to do a doctorate at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, he chose as the thesis of his studies the political system that existed in western Sudan and the Sahara at the time when the British were trying to colonise the area....

...Adu Boahen found that once, when Queen Victoria offered to make Asante a British "protectorate", the Asantehene (king of Asante) sent her a note telling her politely that his country was "progressing" fine just as it was and had been doing since his ancestors' days, thank you very much.
The Moro Naba (king of the nearby Mossis, in what is now Burkina Faso) was even more "accommodating" when the French sent an envoy to propose a protectorate to him: "You must count yourself lucky that I have not had your head cut off," the Moro Naba told the French envoy. "Now, go away and above all, never come back!"

....Yet the expatriate historians were teaching in African schools that Africans welcomed the advent of colonialism because it brought Christian civilisation and progress. Gunboats were only mentioned in passing and the slave trade was passed off - despite having funded the prosperity of British towns such as Bristol and Liverpool and, of course, British companies in North America and the Caribbean - as an African enterprise fuelled by the barbarity and greed of the "natives".

Adu Boahen's supreme crowning moment, however, came at the Royal Commonwealth Society in 1966, when in a lecture chaired by one of the Eurocentric school of African history, Roland Oliver, he named and shamed the Eurocentrics, and dethroned them from their perch on African history for ever...

[Toledo]

Traditional ruler dumps throne for politics, says I’m tired of pouring libation
By CHUKS ONUOHA, Umuahia

...A monarch in Abia has abdicated his throne stating that he was tired of sitting down in the palace, pouring libation and settling disputes which have not helped in uplifting the lives of people in any way.
“As a traditional ruler, you are meant to be seen and not heard. There is a lot of inhibition on the throne,’ he said.

...Having abandoned politics for the throne since the year 2000, the Second Republic speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, said that he now knows better as he has tasted both politics and the throne. “How can you advance the progress of your people if you cannot move about?” he quarried.

[Royalist0007]

Here's a section that will interest those who are interested in African royalty.Does anyone have any information about the monarchical history of both Darfur & Sudan? I know that the Mahdi ruled a Sudanese monarchy brutally until his death,& was succeeded by his son,who became known as the Khalifa (derived from 'Caliph').It was upon the Mahdi's instructions that General Charles Gordon ended up being murdered in 1885.

Darfur,on the other hand was a totally separate monarchy that was located in what is now the Darfur region of western Sudan,which has been in the news for a very long time.

Aidan.

[Vanesa]

I'll search the info I have about Darfur in an old and very complete Geography Bok in Nine tomes that belonged to my great-grandpa. They have lots of info about traditions, music ,religion and society from all countries that where presented there. It's a Spanish book, by far more complete than the ones we know today. I remember to have read something about Darfur Royalty there. I'll check it tomorrow...
By the way, I'm sure we have a member from Sudan here, maybe she knows something about it.

Vanesa

[Benjamin]

There was a Sultanate of Darfur from the 1600s to 1900s. It was ruled by the Kayra dynasty till 1916 when it was annexed by the British. The last ruler of the Sultanate was Ali Dinar ibn Zakariyya.

[Vanesa]

Thank you, Benjamin. And hereI have some new information to add, taken from "Geografía Universal; los países y las Razas", published in Madrid, in 1912 (Tome nº 11).:

Darfur, or Dar-Fur, was a Sultanate, ruled by the Kayra's dinasty and conserved its autonomy inside the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, after the total destruction of the Mahdite's Empire. The United Kingdom allowed the Darfur to keep its autonomy, but the Sultan must pay some anual tributes to its conqueror. However, the Sultan managed the national commerce and touched the population's taxes. He is absolutely inviolable as well as all other people who had royal blood. The only corporation that could lecture the Sultan was the one of the "Fukaras", this is the religious high authorities, but without a real succes. The Sultan always managed to do what they wanted to.Nevertheless, the army was very powerful too, and if a Sultan was not loved by militars, he could be murdered by them. They were always strangled.

The Sultan court was very rich and had buffoons whom formed a powerful corporation. They could make fun on all the most high Royal people without being censured, nor punished for this.

The religion of Darfur kingdom was islamism, but they were not strict following the Q'ran rules and the relationships betwen the two sexs were not severe. The liked to drink a fermented drink named "merisah", and men were not angry if their wives fooled them with other men. However, the women never eated in front of men. The matrimony could only be consumed seven days after the religious ceremony. Women taked part in all public ceremonies and in all occupations that men does.

Darfur language is similar to Arabic, but it's not Arabic. However, some high positioned people learned their children to write in Arabic to read their Q'ran properly and have correspondency with Egypt. The travelers would tell that Darfur people have an excellent eyesight, counting very few myopes between them, and ANY blind people.

Hope this was useful!

Vanesa.

[richardsw]

Who is the current Head of the Emirate house of Algiers?

Does anyone have any information concerning the Royal house of Sennar and whom would the current head of this royal house be?

Thanks in advance