Newly minted Queen of the Balobedu dynasty has sparked controversy after she was seen serving food to ANC heavyweight Professor Mathole Motshekga at a function in Limpopo.
The Rain Queen also set tongues wagging after she allegedly buttoned up his shirt and put his shoes on his feet at another function recently.
The two incidents have ruffled feathers among certain Balobedu citizens, who claimed that Motshekga was not a royal consort and that the queen was lowering the status of the queendom by kowtowing to a commoner.
According to information received by Africa Daily, Motshekga joined the queen and other members of the royal council to donate sanitary towels to pupils at Nelson Mandela Barloworld Agricultural School at Mohlakamosoma village in Bolobedu recently. After the donation, the queen, Motshekga and the other royal council members were corralled at the school, where they were catered for. It is alleged that the queen dished out the grub onto a plate for Motshekga and went to serve him while the former ANC Member of Parliament was taking a pew.
“This raises eyebrows because the queen cannot serve a commoner, not even a royal consort. What happened there lowered the status of the queendom,” said the deep throat.
The mole also said the incident came a few days after another incident at the royal office in Modjadjiskloof.
It is alleged that while the royal council members were fitting the uniform that they are going to wear during the much-anticipated coronation of the queen, she helped Motshekga to button up the top that he was fitting on. She even put his shoes on.
Another tipster who is privy to the incidents said the controversy generated by this was nothing but a storm in a teacup.
“The queen regards Motshekga as her father and he regards her as his daughter. So what is wrong with your daughter giving you food?” asked the source.
Motshekga became the custodian or guardian of the queen after her mother, Makobo Modjadji, died in June 2005. He removed her from the royal kraal in Ketlhakong village when she was still a minor and raised her until she reached majority. In that period, her uncle Mpapatla Modjadji was appointed the regent of the Balobedu but when the time to ascend the throne arrived, he meandered. He later pushed for the queen’s elder brother Prince Lekukela Modjadji to ascend the throne as the next king of the tribe, arguing that Masalanabo did not undergo cultural practices to succeed her mother.
Others said she di not qualify to be the queen as she did not have royal blood flowing in her veins because she was sired by a commoner David Mohale, and not a royal consort. After several taxing legal battles between Motshekga and Mpapatla’s faction, Masalanabo emerged victorious and was appointed as the queen of the dynasty by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
This was after former president Jacob Zuma recognised the tribe’s queenship.
Ronny Moroasehla, spokesperson for the Modjadji Royal Council led by Prince Lekukela, said they were not surprised by the queen’s alleged misconduct as she has chosen to align herself with commoners who are not familiar with the customs and customary laws of the Balobedu.
“ She has abandoned her family and chosen to go with commoners. What good would come out of that”?
“Masalana chose to go all out with the commoners, people not related to the royal family. We are very disappointed, though we regard Masalanabo as our child. Having chosen the outsiders there is no way her conduct will be good. Her conduct will always go with the conduct of the people parallel to the kingdom of God,” he said.
Motshekga said those who are complaining about the queen’s generosity to him were bonkers.
“ She is my daughter, what is wrong with her giving me food. I did not ask her to give me food she chose to dish out for me,” he said.
Motshekga also defended the queen for helping him fit the attire for her upcoming coronation and for putting his shoes on.
“ She wants her father to look good, it shows that she was raised properly. Those who are complaining are crazy,” he said.
