S. Africa buries queen with power over the skies

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) -- South Africa on Sunday buried the last in a line of rain queens, Mokope Modjadji V, who was also the country's only woman tribal leader of modern times, media reports said.

Queen Modjadji, whose name means "the woman who belongs to the sun," governed the tiny Lobedu tribe and was believed to have power over rain that she inherited from her ancestors. She died on Thursday.

A leading regional politician told mourners her death had occurred just days after an eclipse had plunged portions of southern Africa into darkness.

"I think the African heaven chose to mourn her demise in this spectacular way," Northern Province premier Ngoako Ramathlhodi said in remarks reported by the local SAPA news agency.

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