The MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), Mr Basikopo Makamu, urged the Makuya royal family to address and sort out their leadership squabbles. He was talking at the funeral service of the late Thovhele Ntsweteni Makuya, which took place on Friday (24th) at the Ha-Makuya sports grounds.
"We don't encourage chieftainship squabbles within the royal council because it will end up dividing the royal families and also tear them apart. We understand that there are dzikhadzi, makhotsimunene and ndumi (thovhele's aid), who must sit together and build the royal council of Ha-Makuya, rather than the infighting, which according to me, hampers development," said MEC Makamu.
Makamu described the late Thovhele Ntsweteni Makuya as a champion for development in the Ha-Makuya area. He said his department used to engage with him about some developmental projects and he encouraged the royal council to continue their relationship with the department.
Thovhele Makuya passed away on 9 March after a long illness while being attended to by a doctor at a private surgery in Thohoyandou. Soon after he had passed on, tension started mounting between the royal council of Ha-Makuya and the queen (wife) of the late senior traditional leader as well as his girlfriend (lufarathonga).
Limpopo Mirror reported two weeks ago that Thovhele Makuya's wife and girlfriend had collected his body from the mortuary and taken it to another mortuary, effectively hiding it from the royal family members. This caused a lot of turmoil as the family members wanted to perform the necessary rituals but could not do so.
Several senior traditional leaders of the Vhavenda, such as Thovhele Ratshibvumo II Rammbuda, Thovhele Vudzidzhena Nethengwe, Thovhele Khakhu and the representatives from the royal house of the Vhavenda kingship attended the funeral of the late Thovhele Makuya on Friday.
Thovhele Vudzidzhena Nethengwe, who represented both the local and provincial houses of traditional leaders during the funeral services, said that they had worked well with the late Thovhele Makuya in all functions pertaining to his chieftainship and they would miss his good advice.
Reading the obituary of the late Thovhele Makuya, Ms Tshililo Makuya said that he had joined the then South African Police Force in 1985 and worked at the Masisi, Musina and Tshamutumbu police stations. In 1992, he was installed as senior traditional leader.