Cetewayo: The Zulu King the British and French Will Live to Remember

Thomas Jing

“A magnificent people, the Zulus. They convert our bishops, beat our generals and write ‘finis’ to a French dynasty,” British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disreali, once remarked. At the center of this declaration, stand two great kings: Shaka (1816-1828), the founder of the Zulu nation, and his nephew, Cetewayo (1872-1884).

To trace the life of Cetewayo, let us begin with Shaka, the uncle he greatly admired and sought to emulate. Shaka was betrayed by one of his half-brothers, Dingane  (ca. 1795-1840), who connived with another brother, Umthlangana, and Shaka’s own advisor, Mbopa, and had the king assassinated. Dingane obtained the throne in 1828 and faced a similar fate when his half-brother (Shaka’s as well), Mpande (1840-1872), teamed up with the Boers to have him overthrown and eventually killed. With the death of Shaka and Dingane and the rise of Mpande, the setting was ready for Cetewayo.

Who was Cetewayo? Why was he popular, even with the British? “When he arrived in England he was accorded a reception such as few monarchs have received,” comments the ijebu website devoted to research on the king. “This opinion was strengthened when they found that Cetewayo not the man-eating savage his enemies had depicted him as, but a courteous, amiable, and smiling gentleman.”

Standing at 6ft 4, very handsome and with well chiseled features, Cetewayo was a tower of brawn and energy. A physical reminder of his late uncle, Shaka, and his paternal grandfather, Senzangakona (1781-1816), he was just as spectacular in outlook as he was in style. His birth and rise to power was worthy of a soap opera. This image of a star was greatly enhanced by the people over whom he ruled. “Of all peoples, they possessed, and still possess, the finest and most perfect physiques,” noted a western admirer.

The story of the life of Cetewayo goes from death, remarriage, death and then to birth. Mpande had two widows married to him by Shaka: the first was Ngqumbhazi and the second, Monase. Before Mpande got married to Ngqumbhazi, she already had a son by her first marriage. The son having opposed the marriage, Shaka had him killed, so Cetewayo (meaning ‘the slandered one’), born around 1827, was the king’s first child by Ngqumbhazi. According to the Zulu tradition, Ngqumbhazi not being the great wife, Cetewayo, though Mpande’s eldest son, had no automatic claim to the throne.
Monase, the second widow, also had a son before she became the wife of Mpande. On Shaka’s order he too was killed and Mpande’s first son by her was named Mbulazi, after Shaka’s friend, Henry Francis Fynn. Outranked by the first wife as well as not being the great wife, Monase was aware that her son had no greater claim to the throne than Cetewayo, even though she was clearly Mpande’s favorite and her son was considered by the king as his favorite child.

So intense was the rivalry between the two royal households that Mpande had to create two separate kraals almost forty miles apart to house the two wives. The setting for a tragedy was now complete. As Cetewayo and Mbulazi grew to manhood, two opposing camps began to form around them to press their bid for the chieftaincy. Of the two camps, the uSuthu, Cetewayo’s, outnumbered by three to one that of Mbulazi, the iziGqoza.

Mpande continued to form his regiments and the two sons were enrolled in them, Cetewayo in the uThulwana and Mbulazi, the amaShishi; but the two young men and their supporters had their eyes to the future.

Suspicious of the intentions of white people who were increasingly encroaching in Zululand, and “deeply imbued with the vanished glory of the Shaka era, and bitterly aware of the prestige the Zulus had then enjoyed and the sorry pass his father had brought them to,” he could only bid his time as long as his father was in power. Though respectful of him, he was contemptuous of his reign.

When Cetewayo was thirty, Mpande had still not chosen a great wife, an obvious indication that at the king’s death power could go in any direction. With Mpande still in power, the showdown between the two sons began in 1856. Cetewayo arrived at the head of the uSuthu numbered 20,000 men, leading the center of a bullhead pincer military formation while a younger brother, Uhamu, commanded one horn and a Boer by the name of Christian Groening the other. The encounter between the two armies took place at Ndondakusuka on the bank of the Tugela River and has gone into the annals of African history for its brutality. “During the next hour the killing reached a peak that Africa had probably never witnessed before,” Donald R Morris notes in The Washing of the Spears. “The entire iziGqoza faction perished, including all six of Mpande’s son. Thousand of bodies littered the sands at the mouth of Tugela, and they washed up on the coast for weeks afterwards…” the historian maintains.

Mpande died in October 1873 of the infirmities of age and Cetewayo, after serious wrangling, was finally proclaimed king on September 1 by Masipula, the aged inDuna (warrior-chief) who had served under Dingane and then Mpande as prime minister. Cetewayo, as it was the tradition, created a new capital for the nation called Ulundi (the high place), from the gentle slope that rose from the broad valley of the white Umfolozi river. He expanded the army and revived the training methods of Shaka. He equipped his army with muskets and banished European missionaries from his land. Once a missionary in trying to frighten him to accept Christianity told him he would die in hell fire. “Hell fire!” he laughed scornfully and then replied: “My soldiers will put it out.”

The rising strength of the Zulus under Cetewayo alarmed both the Boers and the British. Years earlier, to get away from British control, the Boers had moved inland in what has come to be referred to as the Great Trek. Initially welcomed by Cetewayo’s uncle Dingane, the relationship soon turned sour and degenerated into hostilities. The British, who were firmly entrenched in Natal, did not view the Zulus with friendly eye but decided to allow Cetewayo to keep his army to frighten the Boers who were in the Transvaal. Apart from that, the British felt confident that if the need arose, they could easily handle Cetewayo.

With all of South Africa under British imperial sway, the Boers, now British subjects, much against their wish, started to lay claim to part of Cetewayo’s territory by settling on it. The Zulu king decided to drive them away. When the British were called in as arbiter, they seized the opportunity to scold the king about affairs in his own kingdom. For instance, he had banished missionaries because they were plotting against him and meddling in his national affairs.  One of them had written to the government in Cape appealing that “only the utter destruction of the Zulus can secure peace in South Africa.” The British also made several demands, among which were that “Zulu warriors be permitted to marry; that Cetewayo permit a British spy to live in his capital; and to crown all, that he disband his army.”

Reacting to these ultimatums, Sarah Frances Colenso, Cetewayo’s defender among the whites, stated that the king “was treated as if he were a child instead of a head of a nation.” It was, however, from Cetewayo himself that the most dramatic reaction came. Erupting from his throne to his magnificent six feet four of brawn, he defied the white envoys: “Go back and tell the white men this mid let me hear it well. Myself and every one of my men will die first. I give you until sunset to get out of my territory.” This defiance was a cause for war.

Early in January 1879, Lord Chelmsford led the British, 12,000 strong, in an invasion of Zululand at three points. Colonel Durnfold fell in with a Zulu army of 10,000. Firmly entrenched behind their wagons, the British opened fire on the advancing impis (Zulu regiment) but “charging madly home to death or victory, the gallant black warriors pressed grimly on until they reach the barricade /and/ then leaping over, they gave the enemy a taste of what fighting at close quarters and with equal weapons meant.” Says Colonel Browne who inspected the after-battle scene: “the Zulus had killed everything, even the horses, dogs and mules.” Of the entire British force only forty-two escaped by swimming with their horses down the stream. The Zulus also captured 40,000 cartridges and the rifles of the British. The Zulus lay 3500 dead, not to mention the wounded.

A few days later Cetewayo again defeated the British at Rorke’s Drift and laid siege to Etshowe and then followed up with another victory at Inahalobane.  With news of the defeat, England rushed 15,000 men under Lord Wolseley, with the latest equipment. In another battle at Ulundi, the Zulus charged again. “A thrill of admiration passed through me,” says Browne, “when I thought of the splendid courage of the savages who could advance to the charge suffering such awful punishment.” Cetewayo caused another surprise when one of his detachments defeated and killed Prince Napoleon, extinguishing the hopes of the Napoleonic party in France.

But the British army was too much for the poorly armed Zulus and Cetewayo was defeated, captured and kept a prisoner. Granted his wish, he visited England where he was received by the Queen and lionized. “Great crowds assembled to hear him wherever he went, deputations from various societies waited on him…” Whatever might have been the outcome of the war, one commentator has noted that “it took England over $100,000,000 and her ablest generals to cope with this Negro king.” He died in 1884 and was succeeded by his son Dinizulu (1884-1913).

Comments

[valery tagheu]

What a great story! And Thomas thanks for reminding me of my British Commonwealth history class in secondary school. Recall other epic zulu battles, Islawana and Majuba hill? Great stuff my friend and thanks again for bringing forth another great Imhotep.

[C. Fogge]

While Cetshwayo was a great leader of the Zulu and certainly commanded a lot of respect from both Boer and Brit, the facts here are a bit strange. The writer seems to have confused the Battle of Blood River, between the Boer Voortrekkers and Dingane in 1838, with the British fiasco at Isandhlwana in 1879. The British had specifically NOT made a laager at Isandhlwana as the Boers had warned them to, so there was no barricade to "leap over". They had also split their force, with Chelmsford stupidly galloping off with half of the force "looking for Zulu to fight". Meanwhile the Zulu Army, outmaneuvered him and attacked the roughly 1400 British and "native" troops who were camped out and unprepared. The Zulu should have won, the British should have lost and Chelmsford should have been fired on the spot. It remains one of the most galling defeats of British arms and a victory the Zulu can justifiably be proud of. The skirmish at Rorke's Drift (one the same day) was subsequently dramatized by the British and 14 Victoria Crosses awarded. However, even today it still reads like an effort to paper over the brazenly incompetent British leadership at Isandhlwana. The Zulu Army was under instructions NOT to cross the River at Rorke's Drift and to NOT enter British territory. So, from a Zulu perspective, their supposed defeat at Rorke's Drift was more like an afterthought, with a Zulu general exceeding his orders at the Drift, and then turning back at the end of an otherwise successful day at Isandhlwana. The Zulu just went home, they were not defeated. The 14 Victoria crosses were designed to take the attention off the real issue... Isandhlwana.

The killing of the Prince Imperial was hardly an epic battle. The British held an inquiry afterwards to determine why the Prince was left behind. Obviously no-one was found guilty. What else would one expect? That was Imperial Britain, after all.

P.S. Majuba was a Boer victory over the British, not a Zulu Battle. However, South Africans may justifiably be proud, as it was a brilliant victory for them and caused Britain to opt for peace and recognise the independence of the Transvaal Boer Republic.

[Royal Imperial Africa]

H.I.M Imperial Empress Shebah `Ra - Queen Shebah III

By: Kweku Mensah

Her Imperial Majesty Imperial Empress Shebah `Ra - H.M Queen Shebah III is the Sovereign Imperial Empress and Imperial Matriarch of the African Nubian Nations Imperial Empire Kingdom of Sheba of the Royal Kingdoms Nation throughout East, West, North, Southern and Central Africa Sheba/Nubia descendent Nations Lines of Africa`s over 350 Major Empire Kingdoms Nations on the African Continent, and Empress/Queen of the Pinango and Abron Empire Royal Kingdoms.

Her Imperial Majesty the Imperial Empress is the Chairman of the African Federation of Kingdoms and Imperial House Foundations in Africa/USA/Europe.

FORMAL TITLES:

Queen Shebah III the Queen of Sheba.
Her Imperial Majesty the Imperial Empress Shebah `Ra - Queen Shebah III the Queen of Sheba of the African Sheba Imperial Empire and Empires Royal Kingdoms Nations of the Sheba Empire.
Imperial Queen Shebah III of the African Royal Nubian Lines of the Sheba/Nubia African Royal Kingdoms Nations.
Imperial Queen (Empress) H.R.M Nanan Abena Nyamtché I, of the Pinango and Abron Empire Royal Kingdoms.
FORMAL FUNCTIONS:-

Imperial Head of the over 350 Major Empires of the Empires African Royal Lines Kingdoms.
Imperial Head of the African Imperial Sheba Empire Kingdom Central Government.
Imperial Head of the African Continent Kingdoms Federation
SOVEREIGN HEAD of /CHAIRMAN:-

The African Continent Royal Kingdoms Federation
The African Continental Kingdoms Federation and the African Kingdoms Chambers of African Kingdoms Sovereign of No.Ea.We.So and Central Africa.(TRAKCOS)
Chairman African Royal Kingdoms NGOs Foundations:-

Imperial House Foundation - Africa
Imperial House Foundation - USA
Imperial House Foundation - NIT-IHF (Africa/Europe/China)
Imperial House - CI (Africa)
THE 1st PRESIDENT OF HONOUR OF THE ACP - CSP

AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC GROUP OF STATES CIVIL SOCIETY PLATFORM
The 2nd Forum of Worldwide Association (ACP) African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Civil Society Platform. Representing 79 States (Countries) with 1,6 Billion men and women. Appointed by ACP - SCP 2nd Forum President Lucien Tape Mambo on Oct.10th 2007, for efforts for Africa and Diaspora Nations.

The Imperial House Foundations NGOs:

The Imperial House Foundations Africa/USA/Europe, and Imperial House - CI, falls under the African Kingdoms Federation - AKF, comprising of the over 350 Major Kingdoms covering the 2000 Tribal Nations, Empires, Empire Royal Kingdoms and Chiefdoms that covers and forms Africa’s 850 Plus Million people throughout the 53 Countries of the African Continent. The Kingdom Heads of the Imperial, Imperial-Royal and Royal Kingdoms covers over 350 Major Imperial-Royal and Royal Kingdoms, Several hundreds internal Royal Kingdoms and Royal Chiefdoms together forming the Sovereign Board of the Imperial House Foundation. Their leadership forms the main Board and Royal General Assembly of the Royal African Kingdoms Chambers Of Sovereigns (TRAKCOS) of the African Kingdoms Federations.

The African Kingdoms Imperial House Foundations (IHF) is as such unquestionable unique, for its Chairman the Imperial Sovereign the Empress of the Kings/Queens and Nations, the African Kingdoms Federations, and Royal Sovereigns Boards as such covers and comprises of:- The Kings and Queens of the Imperial African and Royal Kingdoms of the African Union, ECOWAS/OAU Nations of Africa’s – 875 Major Kingdoms and Tribes and sub-Tribes totalling 2000 Tribes which encompasses the 53 AU Countries of the African Continent. The Imperial House Foundation directly represents the common interest of over 850 Million People of the African Continent, and the global interest of the Nations outside, for stability and peace.

Imperial House Foundations primary Development Agenda focus:-

Trans-African Rural and Urban Regions Infra-structural Development Agenda.
Development support of Trans-African Natl. Inter-Governmental Organisation Development Agenda.
The Global aims of the Imperial House Foundations:-

- To support, stimulate and activate the diverse social, cultural, commercial and economical growth of Africa and the African people in unison and in a manner accepted by, desired of and befitting of the people of the Nations of the African Continent.

- The members of Imperial House Foundation have one and the same, purpose, one and the same goal, and one and the same resolution:-

- The Financial support of the Trans-African respective Nations and National Governmental Development agenda, for the up-building of the social, cultural, economical, commercial and internal stable but progressive development of the African Nations individually and as a unity, for the betterment and the prosperity of the people of African, within the accepted, cultural terms, cultural norms and Trans-African desires and expectation of the People and Governments of the African Continent. This by moving the barriers and allowing the natural resources and wealth of the Kingdoms of Africa work for Africa, and in support of the Global Agenda of International Governments for Trans-International Global Development of the Planetary Nations, and Global Peace Initiatives through the financing and support by Africa, with the world as decree by the Imperial Sovereign Empress, in 2000.

Afr.Kgd.Gov.Info.Min.2008

H.I.M Imperial Empress Shebah `Ra - Queen Shebah III captured with H.R.M Gaoussou TouRé Youssouf and H.R.M Emperor Kouassi AdingRa of the Empires Central Government Imperial Cabinet.

The African Continents Kingdoms

At present there are over 350 Major African Empire Kingdoms and several thousands primary Royal Kingdoms thereof and Royal Chiefdom therefrom, of the Nubia-Kush Lines covering the African Continent, together forming the massive African Continents multiple ethnic populations. The Major Kingdoms are the largest and eldest in ancestral lineage, from which the Nubian Sheba Empire the Mother Empire of the Empires is the eldest. This ancient of ancient Lines Empire is born of the throne of Shebah I daughter and throne heiress of Nimrod/Narmer Kush Empire. The Empire was thereafter called the Empire of Sheba of the Empire Kingdom of Nubia the Mother Throne of Nimrod/Narmer through Father Kush/Hor-Aha, which comprised of the 5 family lines Empire Thrones of ancient. After a line of descendent Imperial Sovereigns Shebah Makeba II was born, and became even more renoun in religious history thereafter.

In the era towards the end of the 25th dynasty after attacks and internal conflicts a major part of the Empire coptic lines exodus deeper into the Empire inner African Empire regions for protection of the blood-lines against deadly attacks from outside. This critical moved expanded and formed the thousands of the Empire Kingdoms throughout Africa that has surived and multiplied since the dawn of time, surving all the trial and tribulations that the Empire has faced. In time, to protect the Throne, during first the Aryan within the Empires Asian lines, thereafter Ottoman within the Empires African/Eastern Lines, and shortly following Roman invasions with Africa, the Empire created a an internal protective adopted name that became knowingly/unknowingly a common reference within the lines of Kingdoms and Nations still today, that of Mother Africa.

The Mother of Africa, the Mother of the Kingdoms and Nations, the first civilisations and birth-root, Africa`s one primary and most critical social identity as a people, in unity with that of thier ancestors of Nubia of the throne of Shebah I.

Today one Major Kingdom Line can comprise of several to several hundred Kingdoms over a population that is cross-border throughout Africa. The Kingdoms do not have National Borders but there pre-colonial and Pre-Nationalisation Kingdoms Borders, that criss-cross National Borders. (see Kgd Brief History )

IMPERIAL AND ROYAL KINGDOMS GEOGRAPHICAL ROOT ORIGIN:

H.I.M Empress Shebah`Ra - Queen Shebah III is of the 2nd Millennium 7th Dynasty Kingdoms Lineage of the Empire Lines Nations of Seba/Sheba Imperial Empire, of the descendent Empires and Royal Kingdoms Nations of Africa. The Imperial Lines of Sheba of Nubia/Kush 0/1-2nd Millennium 7th Dynasty - North, East, West, Central and Southern descendent African Kingdoms Lines and Nations of Nubia..

The greater concentration of the major Kingdoms are in the East and West African Regions, this is such due to the geographic of ancient Africa, Nubia or ancient Sudan covered all of West and East Africa as primary Imperial Empire Capital Kingdom with the Empires Primary Royal Kingdoms from within the Empire into Central and South Africa and beyond the shores of the African Continent.

The Kingdoms and Kingdoms Nations which were primarily Christian, some very early Islamic and the more common Nubian traditional religious orientation, relocated with the coming of aggressive religious changes from outside of the Empire further into the respective Empire Kingdoms Northern regions in to the South, and their Empires inner Africa Kingdoms territories, relocating the Major Kingdoms lines and reforming the Primary Kingdoms, sub-Kingdoms and Royal Chiefdoms of the geographic root Empire Kingdom of Nubia. Present day the Empire comprises of both Christian, Islamic that live in unison with the other, together with the ancient traditional religions.

H.I.M Imperial Empress Shebah `Ra - Queen Shebah III is here captured with Senior Royal Aide Kouakou Adou Samuel and thier Majesties the Emeperors and Kings of the Empires Royal Kingdoms.

The African Royal Kingdoms Nations Federation Sovereigns Special Address on;

The Empire, the Kingdoms Imperial Sovereign Lines and
African Kingdoms Internal Constitutions
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African Continent Kingdoms Trans-African chosen isolation during 15th Century to the 2nd Millennium.

African Kingdoms though regretfully perceived and referred to in the derogative as simply `traditional chiefdoms` outside of Africa, can best be compared to an independent self-ruling Monarchies in itself, in as much as they exercise and uphold there own independent internal institutions and Governments in General.
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The African Kingdom had in its past history strong relationships with the Western Kingdoms Nations which drastically changed during the 15th Century until the early 2000s of this millennium, with the utternance of the Kingdoms Imperial Sovereign for the opening of a new era of Peace within and outside of Africa.
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This period prior of isolation from the 15th Century, was due to the tragic historical circumstances at that time and following, that the shaped both present day Europe and Africa. And explains the preferred centuries thereafter distance of the African Sovereigns from Global Socialisation, and the African Kingdoms chosen isolation from Global contacts in general, during that particular period of world history.

The African Kingdoms Nations of the 2nd Millennium, Internal Constitutions

The Power of the African Kings/Queens within the Kingdoms is outside of National Government and Absolute within the Kingdom. So too Kingdoms and Kingdom Nations tribal Nations lands and Territories covering the greater part of the African Continent is of the Kingdoms Nations.
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Likewise the territorial Lands and resources are of, and controlled by the Kingdoms and are allowed through licensing by the Kingdoms to the National Government or at times private entities to be leased for National or internal commercial or economical purposes once approved by the Kingdoms or traditional Leadership.
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A National license to open or exercise a commercial entity do not particular mean it is automatically accepted or allowed within the Kingdoms Territory that decision is of the Kingdoms and then final.

The Kingdoms within there respective constitutions have there own respective Kingdom Governments, Kingdoms Cabinet, Kingdoms Parliament, and Royal Defence Guards, to protect and secure the respective Kingdom Regions.
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In general however within Africa matters of African Kingdoms and African National Governments are two independent constitutions of Leadership and internal independent form of Governance.

African Kingdoms often referred to in respect of their great ages as Traditional Leaders cannot be compared to that of present day global Monarchies within Elected Governmental Nations. Within Africa there are two main forms of Rule the pre-colonial Traditional Leaders – the Kingdoms, which is the oldest form and the post-colonial formed National Governmental the newest form.
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The Traditional Leaders are the direct Rulers and Highest form of Leadership to their respective Kingdom Nations and Tribes. In general, the National government represents the National Interest of the respective Tribes as a unit alongside the constitution of the respective Traditional Leadership and Traditional Governments.
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In some regions of Africa the sub-kingdoms 500 years old or younger, daughter Kingdoms of some older Kingdoms formed later in African Kingdoms history was placed partially under National Governmental Law. However that had caused internal unrest and in most parts as such over decades revised or removed, to avoid colossal and unending Tribal nations wars and conflicts within the respective regions, that can ignite and escalation thereof throughout the African Continent, pertaining to matters of internal Kingdoms or Royal Chiefdoms borders and territorial rights of the pre-colonial Traditional Kingdoms Territories.

- Exceptions:

Within one or two East-African Nations and Southern-African Nations the Kingdoms have additional support and constitutional national joint relationship within National Government, whereby within the National Government Constitution separate constitutions are formed to manage matters of the Kingdoms and National Government interest for a harmonious working in potential problems areas or regions that were stronger influenced by post-colonial interference.
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In these regions where Kingdoms regions constitution as well as a direct region of National Government parallel influence, the National Government pays or reimburse to the respective Royal House a yearly amount for the Royal Household and Kingdoms Internal Cost and a percentage of profits earned Nationally from Kingdoms Resources or Land usage to the respective Kingdoms Government.
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However in principle the respective African Kingdoms have there own independent income to support day to day Kingdom matters through there respective internal Kingdoms resources and internal taxes.
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African Kingdoms Imperial Kingdom Central Governments and Empires Royal Internal Governments:

African Kingdoms Federation Imperial Central Government is the Central Kingdom Government of the Royal Kingdoms of the collective Major and sub-Kingdoms Nations or that within Africa called the Kingdom of the Kings of the Kings. The Central Government has a working relation with the National and/or Trans-African National Government but are not within any National Constitutional, international or electoral influence; it is strictly of and for the African Kingdoms Nations, and supports the Trans-African respective Nations in matters pertaining to the Trans-African General internal Agenda in matters of internal Peace, Economical Stability and Development within Africa. The Kingdoms Central Government mitigates in matters of Trans-African Kingdoms internal in all areas and in the rare occasions of internal Kingdoms and National Governmental conflict of interest or disagreements. - African Kingdoms Strict Internal Laws

The Kingdoms Traditional Leadership internal decides on all matters of the Kingdoms such as:
Kingdoms Government
Kingdoms Laws and Royal Decrees
Kingdoms Internal Economics
Kingdoms Throne inheritance.
The Royal Kingdoms respective internal Governments does not permit any influence from National Government within internal matters of Kingdoms Leadership and distance themselves in general from matters of National Governmental Leadership or choice of Leadership

- Exemption:

unless requested to mitigate or to give advice or endorsement to the Kingdoms Nations or from the Kingdoms Sovereigns on matters of National interest for the Nation.
Respectively African Kingdoms resources and territories are not influenced or can be within any National or International commitment by National Government. Equally as well the African Kingdoms in general do not get formally involved in any matters of Trans-African-International National Governmental nor its internal Endorsement unless approved by the Major Kingdoms Heads for intervention in global matters, related to the African Continent in supported of the Trans-African internal Joint Governmental Communities OAU, ECOWAS and African Union Trans-African Peace and Development Agendas.

- Internal Reforms in 2000
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From the 15th century until the 1962 formation of the OAU global involvement by the collective African Kingdoms was very seldom. However in the year 2000 and thereafter Trans-African and National global involvement by the collective Kingdoms of the Continent of Africa was reopened. This, as an integral part of the African Continent Kingdoms internal Agenda:
to endorse and Secure Peace
Strengthen the internal support of Trans-African National Governments and Trans-African Governmental Community initatives
Stronger Global Relationships from and with Africa
Economical stability throughout the respective Trans-African Nations
and the African Kingdoms Trans-African Rural and Urban Regions Development Agenda with and for the Trans-African Nations and Trans-African Governments.
African Kingdoms Imperial Throne Leadership and Enthronements
African Kingdoms Imperial Sovereign - H.I.M Empress Shebah - Queen Shebah III the Queen of Sheba Imperial Empire Throne.
African Kingdoms Throne Followers (Heirs/Heiresses) are never publicated in any form whilst the reigning Sovereign is on the Throne or in Life to the Public, such are matters of Kingdoms internal.
African Imperial Sovereign are born with the signs of the ancient Symbol of there Imperial Lineage Ancestry; the Sacred Star and the Symbol of the Matriarch. This through the millenniums of inter-marriages and protection of the Sacred bloodlines. To ascend the Throne they must complete the Sacred Rituals thereof in order to carry the title of the Imperial Sovereign or Matriarch. The formal names are given in accordance to Astrological Star settings at time of Birth and during the pre-birth period, as well as Imperial or Royal Blood-lines lineage. The Imperial Matriachs complete names are five Royal names of respective throne meetings forming a specific title meaning, wherefrom the First and Primary Throne name and Bloodlines Lineage names are combined as the respective Throne names. Other Throne titles names are as well given upon enthronement to a specific Royal throne within the Empire, which means the respective Imperial Matriarch though Head of the Empire as a whole is as well the direct Imperial Queen of that respective or those respectives Royal Kingdoms of direct enthrone as well. However only the most powerful enthronement titles of a major Empire or Royal Kingdom is used with Primary formal titles, if and when the Imperial Sovereigns so choses.
African Imperial and Major Royal lines Family Trees has been protect since 635 BC and reaffirmed as critical since the 15th Century, and is never informed outside of the African Kingdom Nations, this to protect the African Throne lines from external influences. After the 25th - 28th Dynasty and exodus within the deeper Empire regions within Africa and during the colonial era`s this was further re-affirmed throughout most Kingdoms as internal written/unwritten laws to protect the throne lineages. The selection of the throne followers are of internal Kingdoms matters and is not allowed to be influence from outside. Upon final selection the formal announcement is then made at a Royal Outdooring Ceremony after the enthronment has in sacred ceremony taken place in accordance to traditional rituals. At the Outdooring Ceremony the new Throne Head or Thrones Heads are introduced formally as Throne Head throughout the Kingdom. If the selected Imperial/Royal is already a major throne Head then a direct Public Enthronement is in most cases customary, which is never revealed to the selected to be enthroned Monarch prior to the respective enthronement.
African Kings wives in some Kingdoms cannot carry the Queen Titles whilst the Queen Mother, in this case the Mother of the King is still in life. Though they exrecise there full Royal Authority. In many cases the Kings/Queens Spouses are not in line for the respective thrones of the Kings/Queens, in these cases it is a second direct family lines that inherits by rotation the respective throne as King or as Queen. Kndly note the throne Queens are oftenwise in the past referred to with the title Queen Mother as well, this reference was by Decree of the Imperial Empress abolished in 2007, with the correct formal throne title of Queen of the respective throne as the Royal title.
African Queens spouses not of Royal lineage, do not automatically have a Kings title, nor equal Powers or shard powers with the Throne Queen. In fact they have little or no Throne Power.
It is impossible to marry into an African Royal House in order to obtain a Royal Title or to come into the Royal Blood Lineages.
Though marriages outside the Royal lines are accepted it is not encouraged, nor is it allowed to interfere or affect the Throne Seat. Throne inheritance in most cases within the most ancient of Empires and Royal Kingdoms lines are passed through the Matriarchal Parental line, the Mother, and in some cases the Patriarchal Parental Lines, the Father.
African Kingdoms Imperial or Royal Kingdoms Empire Leadership are chosen within the Kingdoms in accordance to ancient laws and Kingdoms lineage strictly and directly by the Kingdoms Nations and cannot be influence from outside, it is against Kingdoms Laws.

The throne followers are chosen based on bloodlines, symbols of Birth and surrounding Birth, reflective character of ancestral lines ancient Leaders and Leadership ability and not primarily on that of favour of birth by Royal Blood-lines descendency only.

- -Part II African Kingdoms Governments Internal

© African Kingdoms Federation. All Rights Reserved.Afr.Kgd.Gov.Info.Min.2008 - info@imperialafrica.com