Deputy President David Mabuza Heads to Eswatini in Personal Capacity to Pay Homage to King Mswati III

• Deputy President David Mabuza has headed to the Kingdom of Mswati to participate in a month-long ceremony paying homage to the King
• The ceremony is a celebration of the king and would reportedly be graced by dignitaries and prominent people from as far as the United States
• The ceremony comes after the kingdom was descended into weeks of anti-monarchy protests that were suppressed by the government

ESWATINI - Deputy President David Mabuza is visiting Eswatini in what the kingdom's government has described as a personal visit in Mabuza's capacity as a LiSwati, a son of the soil.

During his visit, the deputy president will participate in the Incwala Ceremony and pay homage to the Eswatini leader, King Mswati III.

The ceremony is reportedly gathering guests from as far as the United States and accompanying Mabuza on his trip are chiefs and princes from Mpumalanga, News24 reported.

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Incwala is a month-long annual ritual loosely translated to the "first fruits festival", starts with incwala lencane and builds up to the grandest event, the incwala lenkhulu.

The Eswatini government has lauded Incwala as one of the last standing examples of what used to be common practice across the African continent.

The ceremony is essentially about cleansing, renewal and celebrating the kingship. However, the celebration of King Mswati III comes after the country descended into chaos after the government violently stifled weeks of anti-monarchy protests in which at least 37 people were killed and hundreds more injured, EWN reported.

The Kingdom of Eswatini is Africa's last absolute monarchy and the landlocked nation has a tradition of suppressing dissent and pro-democracy movements which started with the banning of political parties in 1973.

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South Africans react to Mabuza's personal visit to Eswatini

South Africans said Mabuza could stay in Eswatini for all she cared.

Below are some reactions:

@MduZULU12 commented:

"Possibility of coming back with a different title."

@snav06 asked:

"So that means he drove him there in his own car, right? Right?"

Phakamani Gift Mngomezulu commented:

"Mabuza didn't do anything for us. So, they can keep him, thank you."

Sanele Gumede added:

"The most absent deputy president. They can expropriate him without compensation."

Gezani Gazza Ndavani stated:

"Who cares about what he does."

David Mabuza’s fate as deputy president uncertain as cabinet reshuffle looms, SA reacts: “Very lazy this one”

In other news, Briefly News reported that the secretary general of the African National Congress (ANC), Fikile Mbalula, said that David Mabuza will know in two weeks if he will remain as the country's deputy president.

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Mabuza failed to get re-elected to the party's National Executive Council (NEC) at the ANC's national conference that took place in December.

Speaking to the media at Imvelo Safari Lodge close to Bloemfontein, Mbalula said the ANC is still considering if it should reshuffle the Cabinet reported News24.

Source: Briefly News