Government cannot yet say when King Hintsa’s remains will be fully repatriated
· Citizen
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie says the return of King Hintsa’s skull and the reburial of his remains depend on royal consultation, forensic verification and negotiations with United Kingdom institutions, with no completion date in sight.
Visit betsport24.es for more information.
McKenzie said his department could not yet confirm when the repatriation of King Hintsa kaKhawuta’s remains would be concluded.
Responding to a recent parliamentary question from ATM MP Thandiswa Marawu, McKenzie said the timeline hinged on factors outside the department’s control.
“The timeline is dependent on the consultation with the amaXhosa Kingship, on the outcome of the verification of the remains, and on negotiations with the institutions and authorities concerned in the United Kingdom, none of which the department is able to determine unilaterally,” he said.
He did commit to one concrete step, however. “The department is, however, able to commit to convening the consultation with His Majesty King Ahlangene Vulikhaya Sigcawu,” McKenzie said.
Gravesite at risk of erosion
According to McKenzie, the current gravesite on the bank of the Nqabara River in the Eastern Cape has been under threat.
Soil erosion at the site had prompted the Office of King Mpendulo Zwelonke Sigcawu to request the exhumation and reinterment of the remains, alongside a cultural centre, before the king’s death in November 2019 stalled the project.
McKenzie said no verified record showed where King Hintsa’s skull was held.
He pointed to the 1996 case in which a skull brought from Scotland was falsely claimed to be the king’s.
“The claim was disputed by the Xhosa Royal House and forensic examination determined that the remains were most probably those of a middle-aged European woman,” he said.
Royal consent central to next steps
McKenzie said his department had written to King Ahlangene Vulikhaya Sigcawu to confirm whether the kingship wanted the exhumation to resume and where the remains should be reinterred.
“The department confirms that the return of the remains and their reinterment will be conducted with the dignity, cultural sensitivity and respect befitting the status and the historical significance of King Hintsa kaKhawuta,” he said.