President Cyril Ramaphosa is appealing the North Gauteng High Court ruling that his recognition of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini as the King of the Zulu nation was unlawful and invalid.
Some senior members of the Zulu royal family, who had legitimate standing to be part of a meeting called to identify the future king, complained that they were excluded from that meeting.
This immediately deepened the divisions in the family, especially because the excluded factions say they intended to add new candidates to the race.
The prince that would emerge from this meeting of 14 May 2021 would replace the late King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu.
The late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who convened the meeting in his capacity as Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu King and Nation, had already declared Prince Misuzulu as the heir to the throne.
With the family split into factions, the side that proposed Prince Misuzulu had more power and was accused not only of excluding some members but also of ignoring some proposals.
On Monday the court found that the process to identify the king may have not been followed in a fair manner and to everyone's satisfaction.
It ordered Ramaphosa to set up an investigative committee to look into the matter and the grievances of the various houses that make up the broad Zulu royal family.
On Wednesday the Presidency said: ''Following a study of the judgment, the president will apply for leave to appeal against the judgment.
''During the course of these legal processes, His Majesty King Misuzulu remains the identified heir to the throne.''
The ruling has reignited the raging battle for the throne, with different factions reemerging and launching new bids for power.
With Prince Buthelezi dead, the Zulu royal family is in short supply of elders with the skill and patience to manage the divisions.
''President Ramaphosa calls on all members of the Royal family to continue working for the unity of ubukhosi bakwaZulu and to prioritise the interest of His Majesty's subjects. It is vital that all due processes are allowed to reach their natural conclusion without inflaming tensions,'' the Presidency said in a statement.
