The latest move by the Mpumalanga provincial government to abide by a court order and finally settle the years-long fight for the throne of the Yende royal family in Piet Retief is facing a fresh hurdle.
This comes after the legal team of Felani Yende, a contender for the throne, wrote to the State Attorney in Nelspruit, informing it that Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu appears to be misinterpreting the April 17, 2025, court order.
The lawyers sprang into action after the Mpumalanga provincial house of traditional and Khoi-San leaders, acting on Ndlovu’s instruction, called a meeting to identify the right heir on June 4, 2025.
The meeting is scheduled for June 13, 2025 (this Friday) at the Mkhondo local municipality in Piet Retief. This is according to a letter signed by Kgoshi Larmeck Mokoena, the chairperson of the provincial house.
Felani’s lawyers argue that before such a meeting is called, the court ruled that there must first be an investigation.
“In light of the court order referred to above, we request that your client provide us with a confirmation that the meeting scheduled to take place on the 13th of June 2025 is not in any way intended to identify the right successor of the amaYende asoGenyaneni and in addition to that they must provide with the names of the Committee of the Fourth Respondent in terms Section 19(4) of the Mpumalanga Traditional Leadership and Governance Act 3 of 2005, their terms of reference and when they will be resuming with their investigation as per the court order,” reads the letter.
They argued that only after the investigation could the heir be identified.
“As soon as the Committee referred to above and as per the court order, it is only then that the Royal Family shall conduct a meeting as contemplated in Section 19(1) of the Act read together with Section 8 of the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act 3 of 2019 within thirty (30) days after the Committee has made recommendations to the Royal Family and the Royal family shall then submit the name of the person identified as the rightful incumbent for the position of inkosi and/or Senior Traditional Leader of amaYende asoGenyaneni in compliance with the court order,” Felani’s legal team added in the letter.
The debacle over the throne stems from a 2020 ruling of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein, which dethroned Themba Yende as the traditional leader of the clan, declaring his recognition unlawful.
Themba had been wrongly recognised by former Premier David “DD” Mabuza in 2012. This prompted Felani Yende, along with his royal siblings Ntombikayise and Sibongile, to challenge the recognition on the basis that Themba was not suitable for the position.
They claimed that he was born out of wedlock and only assumed the Yende surname (having previously used Hadebe, his mother’s surname) in 1997.
Tracing their origins to the Zulu tribe, Felani and his sisters argued that only their mother, MaMnisi, was married to their father, the late Inkosi Leornard Yende. As such, only Felani, the firstborn son from that marriage, could take over the throne of the clan.
The courts ruled that Themba’s recognition was flawed because all the other family members were not given an opportunity to make an input during his identification.
After Themba was dethroned in 2024, the provincial government convened another family meeting to identify the rightful heir to the throne, but it was marred by disputes. The dispute arose after the government delegation allegedly flouted the law by instructing royal family members to vote for their preferred traditional leader.
Felani argued this was unlawful, insisting a traditional leader is born, not elected, and that customs must dictate the succession. The family returned to court, demanding that the government comply with the Mpumalanga Traditional Leadership and Governance Act.
