South Africa: Royal Rebels Determined to Fight Until the Very End

SA Govt
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa formally recognised King Misuzulu kaZwelithini as the new king of the 200-year-old Zulu nation in Durban, confirming the king's traditional coronation which took place in August 2022.
28 October 2022
Scrolla (Johannesburg)
By Lungani Zungu

With only a day left before King Misuzulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini's coronation, the Zulu royal family is still entangled in a nasty public feud.

On Thursday, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu's brothers, Prince Mbonisi, Prince Vulindlela Zulu and Prince Mathuba, said they did not recognise Misuzulu as king, but as a prince.

This is ahead of King Misuzulu's coronation on Saturday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, which 48,000 people are expected to attend.

Mbonisi was part of the so-called royal rebels, who supported Prince Simakade but later switched loyalties to Prince Buzabazi as his preferred person to take over the throne.

"We do not recognise 'prince' Misuzulu because [the process was not carried out] in the correct manner," said Mbonisi.

However, he said there were no hard feelings between them.

They held a media briefing in Umhlanga, north of Durban, on Thursday, saying they support Prince Buzabazi to take over as king.

"The government interfered in the process to nominate the king," said Mbonisi.

He then launched a broadside at President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying he had ignored their pleas for the correct way to be followed.

Prince Vulindlela said King Misuzulu did not have their blessings as his uncles.

"They can go ahead and give him the certificate but we don't recognise him as a king," said Vulindlela.

Despite their misgivings, plans for King Misuzulu's coronation - the handing over of the certificate of recognition by Ramaphosa - are in the final stages.

Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, traditional prime minister of the Zulu monarch, rejected claims that the royal processes were not followed when King Misuzulu ascended to the throne.

Buthelezi held a separate media briefing in Durban on Thursday.

"It has always been known that a king would come from the house of the late Queen Mantfombi Zulu," said Buthelezi.

The late Queen is the third wife of King Zwelithini. She was the great wife by virtue of being born to royalty - the royal family of eSwatini.

Buthelezi described King Misuzulu's coronation as a "once in a lifetime" event.

In line with the tradition, King Misuzulu will not conduct any public engagements until his coronation on Saturday.

The coronation is a mere formality after he performed the crucial entering the kraal ritual in August.

KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said more than 300 minibuses have been provided to transport people to the historical event.

Read the original article on Scrolla.

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