Swazi King to attend Asantehemaa's funeral

The king of Swaziland, King Mswati III, and other representatives from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Uganda are expected to attend the funeral rites of the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem II in Kumasi.

This was revealed by Kwame Adinkra, spokesperson of the Funeral Organising Committee, in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom, on Accra100.5FM Monday January 16.

He said: “The king of Swazliand is expected to be here, representatives from Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Uganda are all expected to be here.”

The body of the queen of Asante will be laid in state from today, Monday 16 January, till her burial on Thursday, as part of final funeral rites being organised by Asanteman.

All the chiefs and traditional leaders in Asanteman will today, Monday 16 January, pay their last respects to the longest-serving queenmother who died in November last year at 111 years.

The Asantehemaa’s four-day funeral started at midnight on Sunday January 15 at the Manhyia Palace.

The late mother of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will be buried on Thursday.

On Monday, after the filing past by traditional leaders and chiefs, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II himself will file past his mother's body and later receive consolations from well-wishers.

Many more traditional leaders outside Asanteman will also file past the Asantehemaa’s body on Tuesday and Wednesday. President Nana Akufo-Addo as well as former presidents, ministers, government officials, and other dignitaries are also scheduled to pay their last respects to the queen on Tuesday.