HOW ‘DZODZO’S SURNAME CHANGE CAME ABOUT

MBABANE – If you happen to see a man who goes by the name of Sicelo Sandile Luthango, with fitting features depicting the man who appeared in yesterday’s newspapers, call the police.

This comes after it transpired that Sicelo ‘Dzodzo’ Zikalala changed his surname to Luthango.
‘Dzodzo’ who is a Mbabane socialite has been named a prime suspect in the murder of businessman and football administrator Victor Gamedze.

Police are dangling a reward of E450 000 for information on the whereabouts of ‘Dzodzo’, with two alleged accomplices.
The Mbabane socialite last year obtained an order for the change of his surname. This was after he moved an application at the High Court seeking an order directing the Minister of Home Affairs to expunge the surname Zikalala and insert Luthango in the Births Registry as it was his natural surname.

Respondents in the matter, which was filed in March 2017 were minister of Home Affairs, registrar of births, marriages and deaths (BMDs) and the attorney general.

In his application the applicant (Dzodzo) narrated how he discovered that he had all along been using a wrong surname.
He informed the court that in the year 2014 and having known Michael Zikalala as his biological father since birth, there were rumours circulating around Msunduza where he resided. According to the suspect (Dzodzo), the rumours were to the effect that Zikalala was not his biological father and that he was a Luthango.

Rumours

“At first I ignored such rumours as people talked whatever they wanted at any given point in time but my stance changed after I gathered information that my mother, Esther Tsembeni Vilane (who is late) was employed as a helper at the Luthango family in Mpolonjeni,” submitted Dzodzo.

He went on to state that he then took it upon himself to verify the authenticity of the rumours circulating as there was now a link that his mother was a helper at the Luthango homestead.

According to the suspect, his search led him to a certain homestead in Mpolonjeni, Mbabane.   He claimed that upon arrival at the Luthango homestead, he met with the elders who received him warmly.
“I stated the purpose of my visit and they confirmed that my mother was indeed their helper and that Mr Alfred Thabo Luthango was in an intimate relationship with her,” he stated.

He highlighted that he was further informed that the elders of the Luthango family were not in a position to state with certainty as to the extent of their (his mother and Luthango) relationship as his mother left for reasons unknown to them.

‘Dzodzo’ pointed out that he then arranged a meeting with Alfred, which indeed materialised.  He submitted that in the said meeting, he informed Luthango the purpose of the meeting and about the rumours circulating.  He averred that he also introduced himself as a son of Esther Vilane whom Luthango confirmed knowledge of.

Relationship

“I submit that Mr Luthango confirmed being in an intimate relationship with my mother which did not end well resulting in my mother leaving unceremoniously,” said Dzodzo.
He went on to state that he enquired from Luthango if he could be in a position to clarify to him in light of the circulating rumours if he was indeed his father or he (Dzodzo) was wasting his time.

Luthango’s response according to the Mbabane socialite, was that he might or might not be his biological father, but that could be determined through undergoing a paternity test.
“Indeed in around January 2015 we duly attended to the pathologist at Lancet Laboratories for the results of which tests confirmed I was a son to Mr Luthango in that the probability was 99.999 per cent,” submitted then man who is now a fugitive.

He added that after having obtained the paternity results and in an attempt to have his surname changed, he further approached Luthango. The sole reason for approaching Luthango was to have him prepare an affidavit to assist him in the process of changing his surname. 

The applicant alleged that he also approached Zikalala to also prepare an affidavit. Both Luthango and Zikalala are reported to have duly prepared the affidavits without any objection.

“I submit that despite having complied with all the requirements and formalities of surname change by among others publishing notices in our daily newspaper and paying all the dues attached, I was turned back at the Home Affairs and I was informed that I needed a court order,” read part of the applicant’s application,
The order compelling the Registrar of BMDs to expunge the surname Zikalala and insert Luthango in the Births Registry was granted on May 17, 2017.

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