Vhavenda Princess Masindi Clementine Mphephu’s bid for the Queenship of the Vhavenda kingdom has received another boost.
This after she secured the support of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) and the Commission for Gender Equality.
The two chapter nine institutions announced late last month that they had jointly taken a decision to join Masindi’s court application
to depose her uncle, King Toni Ramabulana Mphephu.
The two organisations’ support for Masindi comes three weeks after the National House of Traditional Leaders and its Limpopo counterpart tabled a report before the high court in Thohoyandou declaring Princess Masindi the rightful heir.
The two traditional bodies were sanctioned by the Supreme Court of Appeal to advise the court on the traditions and customs of appointing
a king or queen.
In their reports, the two houses advised that King Toni Ramabulana Mphephu should be deposed, arguing that he was an Indumi, only limited to serve as the king or queens assistant.
They said Masindi was the true heir, as she was born from the candle wife, as per the traditions and customs of the Vhavenda Kingdom.
In their statement, both the CRL and Commission for Gender Equality said their support for Princess Masindi was in relation to matters of culture and gender rights respectively.
They will support her as friends of the court when she next appears at the high court.
The CRL commissioner, David Mosoma, said they were attracted to the succession case as it was part of their mandate to promote and protect the cultural rights of communities.
“We believe there’s a need for fairness in the case. We want justice to prevail,” said Mosoma.
Masindi confirmed the news.
“Yes we can confirm that the CRL and the gender commission will join our matter as friends of the court. Our team has met with both structures. I am emboldened in my pursuit for justice and sincerely believe that our judicial system will once more affirm my long-held view that I’m the rightful heir to the throne,” she said.
Masindi said the support by the two legislated institutions who have different respective mandates on cultural and women issues prove the correctness of her claim and her whole struggle.
Ramabulana Mphephu’s lawyer Paul Makhavhu would not comment on the matter.
By Aubrey Mothombeni
mothombenia@156.38.205.90
