Picture: Twitter
African National Congress (ANC) heavyweight Mathole Motshekga has been ordered by the Pretoria High Court to pay the legal costs for the Modjadji Royal family, in their battle over the successorship of the Balobedu “Rain Queen” throne.
This after Motshekga’s request to postpone the Balobedu legal battle to next year was denied on Friday by the judge.
Motshekga, who is the foster parent of Princess Masalanabo Modjadji, took the royal council to court after they announced in May last year that Prince Lekukela would take over the throne instead of the princess.
He contends that Masalanabo is the rightful heir to the throne, as it was supposedly known for years that she was set to ascend the throne when she came of legal age. For centuries only females, known as Rain Queens, have sat on the throne.
Princess Masalanabo will turn 18 next April.
Both Masalanabo and Lekukela are children of the late Queen Makobo Modjadji, who died in 2005 after a short illness. The royal council are accusing Motshekga of meddling in the family’s business.
They allege that he has been keeping the Princess away from the family since he became her guardian when she was three months old, shortly after her mother died.
Motshekga on Monday filed an application to have the matter postponed to 2023, after his previous legal council withdrew from the case. The lawyer left the case due to Motshekga’s failure to pay and the ANC MP appointed another lawyer to lead the case.
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The politician’s lawyers argued that they needed more time to prepare because they got access to the case line or court records late and they could not prepare on time.
During Friday’s court proceedings, Judge Haupt said she could not grant the postponement on the matter and referred it to the Gauteng deputy judge president Aubrey Ledwaba to preside over the trial.
Both parties will now have to consult with the office of the deputy judge president on the earliest available date of the next court appearance.
The judge further raised concerns over the delays of the trial, saying the matter should be concluded speedily.
The judge also ordered that Motshekga could no longer file a case in the interest of Princess Masalanabo and instructed her to obtain her own independent legal representatives from the Pretoria Centre for Child Law.
The attorneys at the centre will also offer her legal advice and be able to engage more with the princess in a space where she will not be influenced by other parties.
The judge said “For all I know, she could not even be interested to be queen”.
A source close to the royal family said they have no relationship with the Princess because Motshekga refuses visitation.
The source explained that the siblings had been in contact throughout the years but since the court battles, their relationship has deteriorated.
The royal council said they have been trying for years to have Motshekga bring the princess back to Balobedu to learn the necessary customs and rituals before she could ascend the throne.
They stated this as the reason that they could not install Masalanabo as the Queen.
King Lekukela underwent a sacred traditional ceremony two weeks ago, during which he assumed the throne.
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