DURBAN - Divisions are expected to play out in the open this weekend when Zulu royal family factions hold separate commemorations for the anniversary of the late king Goodwill Zwelithini’s death.
The much-talked-about events will take place on Saturday at KwaKhangelamankengane and KwaKhethomthandayo palaces.
Initially, the provincial government and the royal family had announced that the event would take place at KwaKhethomthandayo.
The plans changed last week when Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, in his capacity as Zulu traditional prime minister, announced that the Zulu king-elect would not be able to go to KwaKhethomthandayo. Instead, the event would take place at KwaKhangelamankengane palace.
Buthelezi said the king’s reason for not attending was that the senior royal family had pointed out that it would be inappropriate as it had been agreed that an error was made in taking the late king’s body to KwaKhethomthandayo instead of his own palace of KwaKhangelamankengane, saying the error should not be perpetuated.
Another reason Buthelezi cited in a statement last week was that it would be unreasonable for anyone to expect the king to go to KwaKhethomthandayo after he was publicly insulted by a princess from that palace who, after the Pietermaritzburg High Court ruled that King Misuzulu was the undisputed successor, brazenly disputed the fact in a televised interview.
The prince reiterated in an interview with the SABC on Wednesday that the king would not be attending the event at KwaKhethomthandayo.
The king-elect’s spokesperson, Prince Africa Zulu, told the Daily News on Thursday that the king and other royal family members would hold their own commemoration at his KwaKhangelamankengane palace on Saturday.
He said it was expected that, after the court declared king-elect Misuzulu as the rightful successor, everyone would abide by the decision and all the events in the royal family were to be sanctioned by him, as the head of the family.
Zulu also hinted that the king might attend a dinner in Durban that would also commemorate the late king’s anniversary.
KwaKhangelamankengane is where the king-elect lives. The KwaKhethomthandayo faction, which vehemently opposes Misuzulu’s imminent ascendency to the throne, said the commemoration prayer would continue as announced last week.
Prince Mbonisi Zulu who, together with the king’s first wife’s daughters, challenged Misuzulu’s appointment, said the event would take place at KwaKhethomthandayo. The palace is occupied by the late king’s first wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini-Zulu, who unsuccessfully challenged the validity of the late king’s marriage with the other five wives, arguing that she was the only one who was legally married to the king.
The faction has 14 days to appeal against the decision. The deadline ends on Wednesday. Their attorney, advocate Peter Zwane, said consultations were ongoing with his client about whether the matter would be appealed.
KZN government spokesperson Lennox Mabaso said the government would be guided by the royal family on what to do, adding that the government did not want to discuss royal family matters in public.
Daily News