South Africa: King Misuzulu Fires His Legal Team

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini.
19 December 2023

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has fired his legal team and retained his old team of lawyers.

Strauss Daly Attorneys is the firm that was appointed by the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi in his capacity as traditional prime minister to the Zulu nation.

His Majesty fired Strauss Daly in May after his fallout with Prince Buthelezi.

The decision to go back to his original lawyers was taken after the King lost a case involving his ascendance to the throne, brought by his half-brother Prince Simakade kaZwelithini, in the North Gauteng High Court on Monday last week.

He was represented in that case by Advocate Ross Richards SC.

Scrolla.Africa has seen the King's letter to Strauss Daly Attorneys dated 14 December reinstating them as the only law firm that handles the king's affairs.

"I as King of the Zulu nation, in my name and on behalf of the royal family, had previously requested legal support when the Crown and the Zulu nation was subjected to brutal attacks on a multiplicity of fronts," reads the letter reappointing Strauss Daly.

"I as His Majesty, the royal family and the Zulu nation continue to compliment Strauss Daly for their firewalls and tireless effort which assisted the Crown, royal family and the Zulu nation to stave off disaster with full time dedication and without funds to support your legal intervention."

The King fired Strauss Daly after he fought with Buthelezi over the appointment of Ingonyama Trust Board chairperson Inkosi Thanduyise Mzimela.

At that time Buthelezi wanted the King to appoint ANC veteran advocate Linda Zama as an interim chairperson after the dismissal of Judge Jerome Ngwenya.

King Misuzulu's spokesperson Prince Africa Zulu of Onkweni confirmed the reappointment of Strauss Daly.

Prince Africa also confirmed that His Majesty will be submitting supporting legal documents when President Cyril Ramaphosa applies for leave to appeal the North Gauteng High Court judgment that found that Ramaphosa's recognition of King Misuzulu was unlawful.

The court instructed the president to establish an investigative committee to ensure all the traditional processes associated with the identification of a Zulu king were followed.

A faction of the Zulu royal family claims to have been excluded in the meeting of all households in the family. It was in that meeting that the king was formally identified by the broad Zulu royal family.

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