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Some members of the Mxiyani royal family pictured during their visit to their ancestors’ graves in the Kruger National Park.
As the festive season reaches its peak, many families across the country are observing their cultural traditions. For some, this includes visiting the graves of their departed loved ones.
One such family is the Mxiyani royal family, who recently made a poignant visit to the Kruger National Park in Limpopo. They have been granted permission by the Park to visit their ancestral land and freely perform their traditional rituals.
The family’s visit was not merely a recreational outing, but rather a deeply meaningful pilgrimage to pay their respects to their ancestors.
They say visiting the graves of their ancestors and erecting remembrance stones is an essential part of honouring their heritage
The family’s connection to the land is also marked by a painful history, when they were forcibly removed in the 1880s, ahead of the creation of the park.
The leader of the Mxiyani royal house, Chief Mzimba Mxiyani, says the privilege of visiting the site is a significant one as it enables them to maintain their cultural connection to the graves and the land.
“We are marking our ancestors’ graves, after negotiating with the Kruger National Park. It was not a difficult process because there was evidence. When they go and work at Mahlangeni camp, they write Mahlangenika-Mxiyani. There are graves and they call the place Windmill Mxiyani One.
Even the name Mxiyani is not moving away, it remains. The community insists that the place is Mxiyani. We want to come here every year to visit our ancestors.”
Some family members say this is a milestone for them as it brings them closer to their ancestors.
The Mxiyani royal family says it has made a land claim, seeking restitution for the ancestral land that was taken from them.
However, their application is facing a challenge.
Mxiyani’s royal house chairperson, Patrick Hlungwani, says they were told that the current land claims process focuses on land which was taken away under the 1913 Natives Land Act.
The family is calling on the Departments of Land Reform, Forestry and Arts to intervene in their land claim application.
Mxiyani royal family visits the graves of their loved ones in the Kruger National Park:
