Overview
- President Cyril Ramaphosa officially announced that King Makhosonke II died on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, and paid tribute to him as a cultural custodian and champion of development.
- The king was 65 and his death occurred during the amaNdebele three-year initiation season, leaving initiates, families and traditional leaders grieving while rites continue on the mountain.
- A 2008 Nhlapo Commission ruling affirmed that the amaNdebele kingship vests in the Manala lineage, which remains the legal basis for Makhosonke II’s authority and will shape succession processes.
- Makhosonke II reigned for about 40 years and held formal roles in traditional governance while leading local development programs, including chairing the African Rainbow Minerals Northern Cape and Mpumalanga Rural Upliftment Trust.
- The royal household, led by Queen Sekhothali Martha Mabhena, and provincial and national institutions now face urgent decisions on succession and custodianship that could affect cultural rites, land restitution efforts and community projects.