MVUMA CHIEF SENATOR PRINCE KEKELA LINKED TO RITUAL KILLINGS

Eswatini is once again shaken by chilling allegations of ritual killings involving the royal family. Overwhelming evidence now links Mvuma Chief and Senator Prince Kekela, born Vusumuzi Dlamini, to ritual murders and grave tampering. According to senior members of the BantfwabeNkhosi, the Chief was summoned to Indlunkhulu and heavily questioned about secretly stealing bones from the royal gravesite and his possible involvement in the killing of an eKubongweni High School student.

The revelations emerged during a late-night Group Call on Sunday, where BantfwabeNkhosi from Mvuma Royal Kraal spoke with this journalist. They confirmed that the Chief, who is also a member of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defense Force (UEDF), is suspected of heading a dangerous team of ritual killers operating from Ludzidzini Palace itself. This has intensified fears that ritual killings are not isolated acts, but part of a broader, systematic practice linked directly to the monarchy.

An investigation began after graves at the Mvuma royal site known as esihhehleni were allegedly tampered with. These included the graves of the late Prince Kekela, Inkhosikati LaTfwala, and “umntfwana Matati,” who was supposed to be the rightful Chief of Mvuma. Witnesses claim that Chief Prince Kekela was secretly observed by a senior member of uMphakatsi through the widow of his house while bathing. Shockingly, he was seen scratching a human bone and mixing the fragments with water. Photographs of the bones were taken, including one piece that was found resting on the Chief’s empty wallet after his ritualistic act.

Evidence in the form of these pictures is now in possession of this publication. The Chief was summoned before Libandla le-BantfwabeNkhosi, where he was pressed to answer for his alleged involvement in ritual killings, including the murder of the Kubongweni High School student. One elder at the meeting confronted him directly, saying: “Wena wasontsa umntfwana wase-Kubongweni watfolakala asafile, indzaba ayinyatsela emaphoyisa” (You abducted the child from Kubongweni, who was later found dead, and the police ignored the matter).

Notably, during this interrogation, Senator Chief Prince Kekela did not deny the allegations. Instead, he began avoiding further meetings when summoned by BantfwabeNkhosi. His silence has only deepened suspicions.

When approached by this publication for comment, Prince Kekela offered no response. Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati also declined to comment, reinforcing public belief that the police—controlled by the monarchy—are protecting him from accountability.

These allegations have emerged at a time when Eswatini is gripped by rising ritual murders and disappearances of children. Dozens of emaSwati, including women and children, have been brutally killed in circumstances pointing to ritual practices, yet these cases are often buried without justice. Many fear that the royal family’s direct involvement ensures that investigations are blocked, evidence disappears, and the killers go free.

Even more alarming, Senator Chief Prince Kekela recently stood in Parliament and openly called for the abduction of political exiles. Activists now believe this was not about silencing dissent only, but also about securing fresh victims for ritual purposes. For human rights defenders, journalists, and pro-democracy activists, this statement is a death threat disguised as parliamentary rhetoric.

The continued protection of figures like Prince Kekela confirms the monarchy’s grip on the justice system. While ordinary citizens face harsh punishments for minor crimes, royal-linked suspects walk free despite overwhelming evidence. The silence of the police and the refusal of Prince Kekela to defend himself further expose the rot.

Eswatini’s people deserve justice. The graves of their ancestors should not be desecrated, their children should not vanish, and their leaders should not be ritual killers hiding behind Parliament titles and military uniforms. The evidence is clear, but in a land ruled by an absolute monarch, justice remains an illusion.

Until emaSwati rise to demand accountability, ritual killings will continue, and chiefs like Prince Kekela will remain untouchable.