As the sole trustee and chairperson of the trust, the king resents having to account for 'his land'.

The Ingonyama Trust has been a source of conflict between the government and the Zulu monarch since it was founded in 1994. The trust, which administers the communal land of the Zulu nation, emerged from a secret deal between the National Party and the IFP, which had planned to boycott the first democratic elections before the deal was struck.

With King Misuzulu kaZwelithini as its sole trustee, the trust controls about 28,000km² or 29% of KwaZulu-Natal land.

In February, Misuzulu fired Thanduyise Mzimela, then chairperson of the Ingonyama Trust Board, and took the helm himself.

"His Majesty will chair the Ingonyama Trust Board to bring stability and to enhance the role of amakhosi in it," said Thulasizwe Buthelezi, prime minister of the Zulu nation and the mouthpiece of the king. "He has informed the minister and asked the minister to publicise that [decision]."

After Mzimela's firing, at least one other member of the board resigned, citing personal reasons.

Buthelezi declined to answer questions pertaining to the king or his government work, directing them to the office of KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli. Ntuli had not commented by the time of publication.

Customary law

Since early this year, Misuzulu has...