By Nkhensani Mthombeni
- The documentary exposes the bitter battle over Modjadji Rain Queen’s throne.
- The filmmaker says it’s her ‘legacy project’ after 11 years of work.
A long-running royal drama in the Modjadji dynasty is coming to the big screen.
The much-anticipated documentary 6 Kings and 6 Queens will premiere at Ster-Kinekor, Mall of the North in Polokwane on Friday.
The 92-minute film, produced by award-winning filmmaker Molatelo Maenetja Bossman, explores the fierce succession battle in the Bolobedu Kingdom — a royal house led by women for more than 200 years.
It took Molatelo 11 years to complete the film. She says it’s her proudest work yet.
“I call this doccie my ‘legacy project’ because I have always said I must make a film about the Modjadji dynasty. I’m from Bolobedu, and I knew I’d give it a different flavour than outsiders,” she said.
The film zooms in on the bitter power struggle between Queen Masalanabo Modjadji and her brother Prince Lekukela Modjadji.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently recognised Queen Masalanabo as the rightful seventh queen but the royal family and council have declared Prince Lekukela the next king.
Adding fuel to the fire is the involvement of well-known lawyer and politician Dr Mathole Motshekga.
The royal family accuses him of holding onto the young queen to control the throne.
They say he’s used court cases to block their authority, claiming he took in the queen after her mother, Rain Queen Makobo Modjadji VI, died in 2005 when Masalanabo was just five months old.
But Motshekga insists he acted out of concern, saying the family neglected her and he raised her out of love and duty.
The documentary features years of footage, including court battles, coronation events and rainmaking rituals.
It comes at a time when debates over the Modjadji succession are heating up — both in the kingdom and across the country.
Molatelo’s last film, Hung out Dry, won Best Documentary at the Umgungundlovu Film Festival and was screened at the BRICS Film Festival in Moscow.
Pictured above: Molatelo Maenetja Bossman.
Image source: Supplied by Molatelo Maenetja Bossman
