20 Aug 2015

Amid magnitudes of statesmen and women in suits and ties stands out ‘Msaudi kababa’ draped loosely in a maroon and black African print two-piece outfit with a beaded neck on a pair of sandals.

He stands with poise, pride and greatest alertness. With rigor, confidence and passion his tongue rolls in praise  the moment King Mswati III makes an entrance. 

Bayete wena WA phakathi (Great are you king)

Uyimbube uyesabeka (you are the great fearful lion)

Confidently orating from the top of his voice, his job is to give the king a grand entrance. 

He undoubtedly triggers interest as the hall blasts in cheerful laughter.

At 33 years of age, he is the youngest of the king’s sacred limited pack of imbongis. ‘Msaudi kababa’ whose real name is Sandile Nxumalo says it is part of their culture to have praise poets for the king, “it is a sacred act that’s got nothing to do with worshiping the king or our ancestors it is a combination of Swazi history, it’s a very ancient culture, it’s been there since the beginning of our monarch,” he said in an interview on the side-lines during the just ended SADC summit in Botswana.

“I did not go to school to learn how to do this. It is natural talent and it was in me when I grew up, I was called to do it and it is purely spiritual,” he said.

He is employed at the royal palace as a royal archivist and has accompanied the king on numerous international high profile visits and his memorable visit was when he had accompanied the king to United Nations general assembly a few years back. 

He narrates that when the king’s Jet landed in Gambia for refuelling on the way to New York City for the UN assembly, as the king stepped out of the jet as is practice he rolled his tongue in praise singing for the king and “at that very moment rain began to pour in Gambia after undergoing a rough dry period.

They called me a rainmaker because there hadn’t been rain for some time and it rained heavily to the extent that Gambia president came to meet the king,” he said. Ends