CLAU-CLAU – In the siSwati culture, it is normally said that “temndeni atingenwa” which means family affairs, should not be interfered with, but in the case of the Mbuyane royal family, it has turned out slightly different.
The family has had to deal with internal woes dating back as far as 2009. It is only now that it has reached its peak and the smoke is now becoming a fire.
Mr Patrick Mbuyane, a brother to Chief Majaji Mbuyane, has alleged that the chief is greedy and sold their late brother’s car without anyone’s knowledge.
“The hatred has always been there, but it intensified when our late brother, German Mbuyane, passed on. German had one child, he owned a Corolla and a mango farm nearby.
Shortly after the burial, the chief sold his car, and his son, Jabu, didn’t even get a cent from it.
“As if that was not enough to intensify the pain from the young boy’s loss, the chief and our other younger brother, Ronnie Mbuyane, went to the mango farm to pick and sell the mangoes. Again, the son did not benefit,” said Mr Patrick Mbuyane.
He also alleged that the chief and his ally, Ronnie, had been intimidating the family to the extent that nobody wanted to call a meeting to resolve these issues.
“The whole family is scared of them. We have become dysfunctional as a result.”Mpumalanga News spoke to Jabu, who confirmed the allegations made by his uncle.
“My uncle, the chief, has always resented me. He chased me away during my own father’s funeral, but I insisted and went there. Two days after the funeral, he sold my father’s car, his wife chased me away from their house, and it has always been a mess.
I don’t mind him hating me, but he sold my father’s property, from which I did not get a cent. All I want now is justice in that regard.
“I live with uncle Patrick. I have to go to school and he has to buy me uniforms and all the necessities. That money would’ve helped us a great deal.
I find it unfair for me to live so poorly while my father’s property is being splashed around like that,” said Jabu.
The chief has, however, dismissed all the allegations, saying they are a ploy to drag his name through the mud.
“I don’t know of any car. I am too far from all these allegations brought up against me. He says I’m fighting them. Well, this could be a battle I have no knowledge of. According to my understanding, the family is fine. If there are any disputes, they are definitely coming from his side. The rest of the family and I know nothing about all of this,” he said.
Although Majaji claimed not to know anything about the car in question, he agreed that he was aware of the mango farm, but it didn’t belong to his late brother.
