The ANC Government in KwaZulu-Natal continues to charm Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini - this time it is with a top of the range Range Rover.

With all the bells and whistles fitted, the price tag on this luxury vehicle fit for a king is estimated at R5 million.

The Zulu King, who is in the middle of a dispute with IFP founder Mangosuthu, is very influential in his kingdom of over 15 million Zulus and would make a powerful ally for the ANC on the eve of one of its most difficult election campaigns.

Right now the ANC has just about lost all control of Northern KZN where the IFP rules 29 municipalities.

To a large extent, the resurgence of the IFP was thanks to a cosy relationship Buthelezi built with the Zulu Monarch at a time when the ANC refused to endorse his birthright to be the heir to the Zulu throne.

In recent months the ANC has publicly announced mending fences with the king as one of its key strategies to retain control of the province.

The IFP threat, backed by an alliance with the DA in urban areas, reduced the ANC vote to below 50% even in the eThekwini metro.

There is now a very real chance that KZN and Gauteng could be governed through coalitions after the 2024 general election.

This is why KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube is showering His Majesty with gifts like the king's "official vehicle" which was delivered to his late mother's royal palace of kwaKhangelamankengane in Nongoma.

Dube-Ncube presented King Misuzulu with a 2023 luxurious black Range Rover P530 HSE, which costs between R3 million and R5 million, according to the South African Land Rover website.

Dube-Ncube said she met the king to discuss important issues about the province, as well as handing over the official vehicle to him.

King Misuzulu's spokesperson Prince Simphiwe Zulu was not available for comment.

The ANC and the IFP are expected to face off in various by-elections across KZN on Wednesday.