Vhavenda kingship court battle adjourned until June

The High Court in Polokwane, Limpopo, has adjourned the Vhavenda kingship battle until June. The Kutama traditional leader, Vele Kutama testified in defence of Prince Toni Mphephu Ramabulana.

During the hearing, Princess Masindi Mphephu’s lawyer Advocate Allan Dodson told the court that the Vhavenda Royal Council went ahead and appointed Prince Toni Mphephu Ramabulana as king despite his alleged involvement in the VBS saga.

This after the 10th witness David “Vho-Japan” Mphephu had testified that among the requirements for a person to be considered for the position of a king, they must not have criminal record.

Princess Masindi Mphephu is challenging her uncle Prince Toni Mphephu Ramabulana to ascend the throne.

During cross-examination, Advocate Dodson argued that the royal council had pre-knowledge that Prince Toni Mphephu Ramabulana was investigated by the police, SARS and the NPA, for his alleged involvement in the VBS saga before he was installed as a king.

According to Advocate Dodson, David Mphephu was not honest in his written affidavit, where he denied any knowledge of Prince Toni Mphephu Ramabulana being under investigation.

Advocate Dodson also argued that Princess Masindi Mphephu was a better candidate than Prince Toni Mphephu Ramabulana as she meets all the requirements to ascend the throne.

Advocate Dodson told the court that both Princess Masindi Mphephu and Prince Toni Mphephu Ramabulana come from a royal family lineage, saying both royals were not born from ‘dzekiso’ wife, a woman married to bear an heir.

“What am saying, to do in paragraph 13, is that you made a representation to the authorities and as a result of this representation, the police made a decision that they will not prosecute Toni. Toni was never a suspect or suspected of,” he argued.

During re-examination, Prince Toni Mphephu Ramabulana’s lawyer Advocate Shonisani Ravele said when Princess Masindi Mphephu was born, her father was still a prince, not a king.

“When Masindi was born, who gave birth to her? What was the status of the father? Was she a princess or just an ordinary member,” asked Ramabulana.

A senior traditional leader of the Kutama traditional authority, Vele Kutama, was the 11th witness called by the former king Toni Mphephu Ramabulana’s side.

According to Kutama, he succeeded his brother despite being a third born son.

He told the court that his elder sister was overlooked as she could not be a traditional leader but takes the role of performing rituals or duties as an aunt.

“Did any of these four males of Pfumulani succeed him? Why did they not succeed him when he had children?”

“It’s because they checked and found that the wife was not a ‘dzekiso’ wife,” responded Kutama.

According to Kutama, Prince Toni Mphephu Ramabulana is an eligible candidate to ascend the Vhavenda throne even though he’s born of a second wife.

The kingship battle has been adjourned until June.