By Paul Nyathi

The highly tempered meeting on the coronation of a Ndebele king between government and Matabeleland traditional leaders in Bulawayo has been abandoned.

The meeting has been called off following an urgent chamber application by Peter Zwide Khumalo who is claiming the throne.

The Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing July Moyo who was supposed to convene the meeting had to leave after learning of the development, leaving the President of the Chiefs Council Chief Fortune Charumbira to make the announcement.

Chief Charumbira said Minister Moyo and other government ministers had to leave prematurely as it was not possible to discuss an issue which is before the courts.

The Bulawayo High Court is due to sit later in the day to consider the application.

Prince Zwide Khumalo installed himself as king of the Ndebele people last week in a coronation ceremony which was attended by about twenty people most of them being members of the media.

The royal Khumalo Family had ignored Prince Zwide as he is not within the family line to inherit the throne from Lobengula the last king of the Ndebele.

Lobengula was dethroned by the settler government in 1893.

The Khumalo family identified South African citizen Prince Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo as the rightful heir and was due for coronation on Saturday.