Royal matriarch remembered

Magona royal family unveils tombstone of granny long gone

The Village Voice

The venerable Brown Kheto Nxumalo, one of the three surviving brothers of the late Hosi SDW Nxumalo of the Gidjana traditional council has explained why the family decided to erect the grave of his late granny Nwa-Xiwhayi Nxumalo ne’ Dlamini who was the wife of his great grand father Hosi Gija Nxumalo.
The woman of Swazi royal descent was the mother of Hosi Magona, SDW Nxumalo’s father.
The family on Saturday unveiled the granny’s tombstone and that of her grand daughter Grace.
The event took place at the royal family’s gravesite at Ntomu village under the Nkuri traditional council in the Greater Giyani Local municipality.

Grace who was her son Hosi Magona’s daughter died in 1935 but her granny died a few years earlier, according to Brown Nxumalo.
Said Brown Nxumalo:”One night while I was asleep, kokwani (grand mother) Nwa-Xiwhayi talked to me, complaining why we erected the tombstone of her late husband Hosi Gija and left her out,” he said.
He said after the dream he did not get any rest.

“I consulted various spiritualists about the dream and they confirmed we needed to erect the tombstone. When I was about to give up, the idea received traction from my brother’s son Mutshutshu who is a businessman and the leader of our family. We agreed I should arrange the tombstone and he would provide finance for the event. I am happy we were able to have the event as planned” he said.
He said the family left the village for Nkovani around 1945 when their father was angry after three family members died in one day.
Hosi Magona’s late son, Hosi SDW Nxumalo was also born at Nkuri.
The event was dominated by cultural activities that also involved the Ntomu Xigubu.
Well-known Giyani community leader Rex Dlamini who is also a pharmacist who is of the same clan with the legendary granny said he has long appreciated the fact that a Dlamini contributed to the growth of the Nxumalo royal family.
“The late Hosi Samuel Nxumalo alerted me about this and called me his uncle although I was much younger,” he said.
Mutshutshu Nxumalo said the fact that the event was held on Freedom Day was a good omen for the family.

It is an open secret that after the death of Hosi Busa Nxumalo two years ago, the family is embroiled in leadership dispute that is now before the courts.
Headman Ntomu hailed the Magona family for keeping the family legacy by having their burial site at Nkuri.
“I came to the event because you invited me. If you had decided otherwise and not invite me, it would also be fine. I am happy I a was part of the event,” he said.