Tzaneen — President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the late Hosi Phylia Tinyiko Lwandlamuni N’wamitwa II as a pioneer who reshaped customary law and advanced gender equality, saying her life represented a triumph of courage over patriarchy.
Delivering the eulogy at her Special Provincial Official Funeral at the Valoyi Cultural Village in Tzaneen, the President said the VaTsonga nation had lost a mother and a transformative leader whose legacy would endure beyond her reign.
Hosi N’wamitwa II made history in 2008 when she became the first female Hosi of the VaTsonga following a landmark ruling by the Constitutional Court of South Africa. The court affirmed that the Valoyi Traditional Authority could adapt its customary succession rules to allow a woman to ascend to the throne, effectively challenging the long-standing male primogeniture principle.
Ramaphosa said her decision to assert her constitutional rights required extraordinary resilience and strength of character, adding that her victory demonstrated that customary law and constitutional values are complementary rather than contradictory.
Born on 27 June 1940 to Hosi Fofoza N’wamitwa and Nkosikazi Favasi N’wa-Manave, Princess Tinyiko Lwandlamuni Phylia N’wamitwa pursued education at a time when many girls were excluded from both schooling and traditional leadership roles. She later qualified as a teacher, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and completed an Honours degree in anthropology.
Her professional life spanned education and public service. She served as a teacher, inspector and circuit manager, becoming the first woman appointed as Education Circuit Inspector in the former Gazankulu homeland. She also participated in the Convention for a Democratic South Africa negotiations and later served four terms as a Member of Parliament for the African National Congress from 1994 to 2009.
In recent years, Ramaphosa appointed her to the Eminent Persons Group guiding the National Dialogue, recognising her wisdom and leadership.
Throughout her reign, Hosi N’wamitwa II championed the rights of rural women, insisted on equal treatment in traditional courts, and spoke out against gender-based violence. She mobilised support for vulnerable households, including securing food assistance partnerships and backing initiatives to establish youth development programmes in her community.
The President called on institutions of traditional leadership and government structures to ensure that culture and tradition are never used to justify discrimination or exclusion.
Hosi N’wamitwa II is survived by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her guiding principle, “vukosi i vutirheri” — royalty is service — remains a lasting testament to her leadership.
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