MBABANE, Swaziland: King Mswati III had invisibility spells cast upon him and took part in ritual bathing while standing on top of a sacred bull Saturday at the height of annual, folklore-filled festivities to celebrate harvest.

The so-called Incwala ceremony, which also involves the king’s having sexual intercourse with one of his 12 wives and jumping over flames, illustrates the strength of traditional values in Africa’s last remaining absolute monarchy, which has withstood pressure for democratic change.

Mswati remains popular even though he has refused to allow political parties and has built luxurious palaces for all his wives — chosen every year at the annual “Reed Dance” — while one-quarter of the 1 million people is dependent on food aid.

But the ceremony, which is the highlight of Swaziland’s calendar, is also shrouded in controversy, reportedly causing a split between two of the kingdom’s most powerful families and being described by some church leaders as demonic.

In the run-up to this year’s ceremony, pastors of the Pentecostal church said the Incwala celebrations were based on principles of witchcraft.

This was denied by Swazi leaders, who described the ceremony as the Swazi nation’s “prayer.” Prime Minister Themba Dlamini, who claims to be a devout Christian, said the event promoted national unity and defined the Swazi culture.

“Incwala is an important tradition, where every Swazi is expected to take part and pray for the year ahead. This is our culture; you modernized people have demonized it,” said Jahe’dzala Dlamini, another follower.

Much of Saturday’s ceremony was held in secret, although its contents are common knowledge and were confirmed to The Associated Press by a number of sources. It culminated in public singing and dancing attended by some 15,000 people, including tourists. But traditional authorities banned the use of mobile phones and electronic broadcasting equipment during the dance.

At the crack of dawn, in a private ceremony, an assembly of powerful traditional leaders or “juju-men,” some from neighboring Mozambique, cast a spell on Mswati to make him “invisible” for ordinary people and to allow them to invigorate his powers in accordance with tradition.

As part of the cleansing ceremony, the monarch had intercourse with one of his wives inside an enclosure constructed out of shrubs — cut by men who have never fathered a child — inside a cattle kraal at the queen mother’s royal residence, just outside the capital, Mbabane.

During the ritual, Mswati also had to jump seven times over flames and inhale incense made of various herbs as part of his rejuvenation for the year ahead.

The monarch then had to bathe with a concoction of herbs while standing on top of a sacred black bull (Incwamba), during a closely guarded ritual witnessed only by his brothers and close members of the royal family. The ceremony is meant to rejuvenate the powers of the king, who is symbolized as the lion.

The collection of the bathing waters from the Indian Ocean is an elaborate ritual, which also entails collection of soil, cow dung and plants from all the chiefdoms, according to members of the Mkhatshwa clan responsible for the task.

However, one royal source, who asked for anonymity, said there was a rift between the Mkhatshwa clan and queen mother’s family clan over the traditional privilege of preparing the cleansing concoctions of the monarch.

The queen mother’s clan wanted to take over responsibility for preparing the concoctions, whilst the Mkhatshwa clan insisted the potions are based on ancient knowledge inherited from their forefathers, the source said.

Even before the latest tensions, problems accompanied recent ceremonies. Several years ago, the sacred bull was stolen on the eve of the ceremony, and last year the king’s special regalia was stolen and sold.

Source: International Herald Tribune

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