Kumasi: Extensive preparations are underway throughout Asanteman for the burial, known as ‘Doteyie’, of Nana Konadu Yiadom III, the late Asantehemaa. Nana Konadu Yiadom passed away on August 07, 2025, after serving as queen mother for eight years.
According to Ghana News Agency, a ban on all funeral activities in Asanteman has been imposed starting from September 02, 2025, until after the burial on September 18, 2025. The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, announced the burial dates during the one-week rites for the late queen mother at the Manhyia palace on August 21, 2025. The four-day burial rites will commence on September 14 and conclude on September 18, 2025, at the Manhyia palace.
The late queen mother will lie in state on September 14, with a public viewing and file past the following day. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will sit in state on September 16 and 17, 2025, to receive dignitaries and delegations who will join in mourning. On September 18, all commercial and trading activities in the Kumasi metropolis will be halted to allow the public to mourn. Additionally, a curfew from 8 pm on September 18 to dawn on September 19 will be enforced in communities along the route to the royal mausoleum at Breman, where the queen mother will be interred.
The ‘Doteyie’, as explained by Mr Y.A Gyamfi, an Asante Diplomacy Historian, consists of traditional burial rites for an Asantehemaa, typically performed between 40 and 80 days after death. The ceremonies are structured and symbolic, including the lying-in-state at Manhyia palace, where mourners can pay their respects and present ‘Adesiedie’ (funeral gifts) such as gold dust, cloth, drinks, and money. These offerings serve both spiritual and practical purposes for the queen mother’s journey into the ancestral world.
Public mourning features ritual wailing, drumming, and musket firing to express collective grief. The burial occurs at dawn, starting with ceremonies at the Bantama mausoleum before the final interment at Breman. A curfew maintains solemnity and order during this time. Beyond a farewell, the Doteyie reflects Asante beliefs in the soul’s immortality, honoring the deceased and ensuring they are remembered as a vital link in Asante tradition and authority.