By Bongiwe Dlamini

MBANGWENI: Shiselweni Regional Administrator (RA) Themba Masuku allegedly sent a batallion of armed police officers to remove Chief Mandla Matsebula from Mbangweni uMphakatsi on Saturday morning.

The RA is accusing Chief Mandla Matsebula of elevating himself to the ‘Chief’ status yet according to the Regional Administrator, he was never  authorized or appointed to be the Chief of Mbangweni.

The latest developments come a few months after this publication reported that, RA Themba Masuku unleashed police officers to arrest Mandla Matsebula, he was detained at Nhlangano Police Station and subsequently released.

Worth-nothing, King Mswati through the then Secretary of the Liqoqo King’s Advisory Council Bheka Mabuza confirmed the appointment of Ngudvuza Matsebula as the Chief but the issue of Mandla Matsebula took over from his father remain a subject of discussion within the royal and traditional circles.

“This serves to inform you that His Majesty the Ingwenyama Mswati III has ruled that Ngudvuza Matsebula is the rightful Chief of Mbangweni Area in the Shiselweni Region.His Majesty has directed that your esteemed office prepare the necessary documents to validate the appointment”, reads the letter in part signed by Bheka Mabuza on behalf of King Mswati.

Efforts to reach Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Phindile proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.

But a ruling issued by the Ludzidzini Council through the then Chairman Chief Mdlaka Gamedze, Mandla Matsebula was through the Office of the Regional Administrator, told to stop exercising powers as the Chief of Mbangweni, the Ludzidzini Council said he was never appointed a Chief and, his father Ngudvuza Matsebula was never the Chief of Mbangweni.

RA Themba Masuku’s cellphone rang unanswered when this Swaziland News tried to contact him for a comment.

Sources within Mbangweni uMphakatsi told this Swaziland News that, “it is a contradiction to claim that, Ngunduza Matsebula was never a Chief of Mbangweni but his home is recognized as uMphakatsi.

“I am the grandson of the late Chief Ngudvuza Matsebula, sikhulele lapha ekhaya sikhuliswa ngu-Mkhulu lowabekwa waba Sikhulu wagidza Sibhimbi nga-1989. Kuliciniso kutsi Mandla Matsebula akafaneli kuba Sikhulu ngoba kune-Nkhosikati letalwa eBukhosini lashiya Mkhulu akhombile kutsi kutawutsatsa yona, mane beyingatfoli bantfwana. Wabese Mkhulu sewutsi kutawutsatfwa lomntfwana welibovu afakwe esiswini sale-Nkhosikati bese uba-Sikhulu. Mandla vele akasiso Sikhulu kodvwa Themba Masuku nyalo ungena ekhaya kitsi, ucosha Babe Mandla utsi loMphakatsi ngumuti weNkhosi, sesiyamangala-ke kutsi sewumcosha njani Babe Mandla ekhaya kubo?. Umbuto-ke utsi usho njani kutsi Mkhulu was not a Chief kodvwa lelikhaya lakhe natsi lesikhulele kulo Themba Masuku uyavuma kutsi nguMphakatsi. Noma ngabe umuntfu wonile kutenta Sikhulu, awumcoshi ekhaya kubo, lapha kusekhaya kubo Mandla lotalwa Sikhulu,” said the source, a grandson to the late Chief Ngudvuza.