Durban - There is a fresh flare-up of tension within the Zulu royal court after Prince Thokozani Zulu on Tuesday penned an open letter aimed at Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, accusing him of controlling Zulu kings.
In the letter, which was sent to Independent Media, Zulu alleges that Buthelezi, who is the traditional prime minister to the monarch and the Zulu nation, is abusing his powerful political position.
Zulu, a member of the so-called "royal rebels", and Buthelezi have a contentious relationship. At the height of royal tension in early May this year, Buthelezi said Zulu had no right to discuss royal matters as he was born out of wedlock (he is the son of Prince Penuel) and was not raised within the royal court.
On May 7, at KwaKhangelamankenga palace in Nongoma, Buthelezi and Zulu locked horns once again when the latter challenged the naming (as per the will of the late Queen Regent Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu) of Misuzulu as the next King of the Zulu nation. Zulu’s challenge threw the reading of the will into chaos, and Misuzulu had to be whisked away by his bodyguards.
The prince claimed that he penned the open letter in response to the incident on July 15 this year where King Misuzulu (Zulu refers to him as Prince Misuzulu – not King) addressed the nation from Ulundi about the looting and unrest that engulfed KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng.
The king appeared to struggle to read his prepared speech both in English and Zulu, prompting critics to speculate that he was having difficulty because the speech was forced on him by Buthelezi, who was seated next to him.
Zulu said the incident was cringeworthy and is evidence that the Zulu monarch has been weakened, and that Buthelezi has a hand in that. He alleged that the weakening of the Zulu monarchy had begun with British colonialists and that they, up to this day, are using proxies to further their agenda.
“I am propelled by the anguish and shuddering incident of the 15th of July, 2021. The entire Zulu Nation. South Africa and the whole world witnessed iZinyane (prince) leSilo being held on a leash in the full glare of the public, being dictated to what to say, being rendered a virtual minion by being whispered what to say in the full glare of the public.
’’All that has been stated in the immediately preceding paragraphs is a cold reminder that history repeats itself in relation to the strategy that was used by the British imperialist government, subsequent administrations after it and the KwaZulu Government,” he said.
Furthermore, he said, King Misuzulu is now being scorned by the South African public at large, a situation which could have been avoided.
“We have noticed how the Zulu Nation and South Africa have responded to how Prince Misuzulu read the statement. The late King's son being subjected to all sorts of expletives and scorn. Even that causes us pain. In terms of my view of the shenanigans, His Majesty's son was deliberately thrown into the deep end at the expediency of scoring cheap political points. This, so that, eventually, Prince Buthelezi would emerge as the one who salvaged Prince Misuzulu from the public deplore,” Prince Thokozani wrote.
Independent Media has approached Buthelezi’s office to respond to the claims made by the Prince, and his response will be added as soon as it is received.
Political Bureau