The life and legacy of Queen Loziba Thebe, one of King Mzilikazi’s most influential wives, will be celebrated at a cultural commemoration in Inyathi, Matabeleland North, on 13 September.
The event, organised by the Queen Loziba Thebe Development Trust in partnership with the Khumalo and Thebe families, will be held at Kopa village, about one kilometre from Inyathi Mission and 60 kilometres from Bulawayo.
Trust chairman Vuyo Mpofu said the commemoration would become an annual gathering to honour the queen’s role in the Ndebele kingdom and to promote cultural preservation.
“Every year, starting from this year, we will commemorate this day so that we gather as a community and celebrate our heritage,” he told CITE.
Mpofu said Queen Loziba was highly respected by King Mzilikazi, who valued her wisdom and influence.
“She is the only woman who was buried at a kraal. King Mzilikazi recognised her as his favourite queen, and she played a key role in keeping the kingdom in order. We want to celebrate women because they are central to our culture and our nation,” he said.
He added that Queen Loziba also shaped the relationship between missionaries and the Ndebele when Inyathi Mission, the country’s oldest surviving mission, was established.
“She influenced the king to manage that delicate relationship wisely and ensured people did not abandon their culture in the process,” said Mpofu.
Mpofu stressed that the commemoration was also about inspiring contemporary society.
“Women of today should know they are important and should not downplay themselves. Men must also recognise their value, just as King Mzilikazi did,” he said.
The chairman linked the commemoration to modern challenges, including drug abuse, teenage pregnancies and school dropouts.
“We feel this is our small way of addressing social ills. Children must be taught to respect themselves, go to school, and respect elders. This event will help to teach these lessons,” he said.
Queen Loziba, believed to have been born in 1790, was the daughter of Phahlana Thebe. Oral history records that she had one daughter, Lobitshi. Some accounts suggest she may have had a son who died in the 1893 battle of Gadade.
She died around 1861 or 1862 and was buried in the male cemetery near Kopa, close to the kraal, a rare honour for a woman, usually reserved for warriors and leaders.
The commemoration will run from 9 am to 4 pm on 13 September. A bus will depart from Cecil Hotel in Bulawayo at 7 am, with a return fare of US$3.
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