By Celani Sikhakhane
The King of the Zulu nation has made a clarion call to government to turn the brewing of Amarula traditional beer in KwaZulu-Natal into an industry to eradicate the high unemployment rate.
King Misuzulu kaZwelithini was speaking on Saturday at the Amarula Festival known as uMkhosi Wamaganu, in Jozini.
The annual festival celebrates the harvest season of amarula berries every February.
Amarula trees are all over the villages under the Mngomezulu and Tembe tribes near the Mozambican border. Communities in these areas harvest the berries and make their own traditional beer.
Some of the beer they sell in the streets of Jozini but much of the beer they keep, for fun and for something to drink during the day, especially when it’s hot.
But now King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has told them that the fun is over.
“It’s high time for you to benefit economically from the amarula because it’s your wealth and it has to be industrialised to eradicate the high unemployment rate that we are facing in our province.
“During my maiden address at the opening of the KZNLegislature I made it clear that we are starting a new page. It’s time for our people to reap economic benefits from their cultural activities,” he said.
He also urged the Zulu royal family to come closer to communities and be part of their economic development. He wants Zulu royal family members to attend each and every event that is hosted by traditional leaders and communities to create support and a united nation.
On Thursday during his maiden address in Pietermaritzburg he revealed that plans are underway with different stakeholders to make sure that the land under the Ingonyama Trust is being developed and that communities will get economic benefits for their business activities.
He commended Inkosi Mabhudu Tembe of the Tembe traditional council for reviving the Amarula Festival as a tourist attraction.
The KZN MEC for Arts and Culture, Amanda Bani Mapena, revealed that they are already in discussions on how they could industrialise amarula for the community to benefit.
Women are likely to benefit the most as they are at the forefront of the harvest.
On Saturday, the king was guarded by his royal VIP protection unit and SAPS.
But on Thursday, at the official opening of the KZN Legislature, it was the Presidential VIP Protection Unit which whisked him out of the house after chaos erupted when EFF members tried to stop Premier Nomsa MaDube Ncube from delivering her maiden State of the Province Address.
Pictured above: Rural women from kwaTembe and Mngomezulu villages with their Amarula traditional beer to celebrate the harvest season of Amarula/Amaganu on Saturday
Source: KZN Department of Arts and Culture
