Durban - Despite having been a contender for the Zulu throne for the longest time, new minutes of a meeting of some Zulu royal family members reveal that Prince Simakade Zulu has been dumped as a contender to take over as the next Zulu king.
Prince Simakade, the first-born son of late King Goodwill Zwelithini and who was born out of wedlock, was from the time his father passed away on March 12 last year, earmarked by some in the royal family as the rightful heir.
However, the position is now held by Misuzulu KaZwelithini on a de-facto basis.
In a new twist, the so-called royal rebels faction which is now led by Prince Mbonisi Zulu met in Nongoma on February 6 and resolved that the next king should come from KwaDlamahlahla, where King Goodwill Zwelithini’s widow, Queen Buhle Mathe, lives.
According to the minutes of the meeting, since the late king’s first wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini-Zulu, no longer had a son after the passing of Prince Lethukuthula Zulu in 2018, they have to move to the next house.
The minutes of the meeting recorded that Prince Vulindlela Zulu said that, in Zulu custom, the first wife bears the king, but the rightful house surrendered that privilege because all the remaining royals in that house are females and cannot rule the kingdom.
“Even Ingonyama uNgangezwe (the late king) confirmed to the Nhlapho commission that, according to his knowledge, the first wife gives birth to the next king. He (Prince Vulindlela) confirmed that indeed they went to the house of the first wife (KwaKhethomthandayo palace) and they were told that the only prince there has passed away and those who are left behind are princesses and they cannot occupy the throne. As a result, they moved to the house of the second wife at KwaDlamahlahla where the next king would come from,” reads the minutes which were leaked to Independent Media.
It is not clear who would be fielded from the house as the late King and Queen Buhle Mathe have three surviving children, Prince Nhlanganiso, Prince Buzabazi and Prince Phumzuzulu.
Furthermore, the minutes of the meeting show that Prince Vulindlela said the June 22, 2021 nomination of Prince Simakade by Princess Thembi Zulu-Nldovu was unconstitutional.
“The constitution was not followed when that was done,” the minutes read.
In an apparent bid to thwart notions that Misuzulu is the rightful successor only because his mother Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu’s lobola was paid for by the Zulu nation, Prince Vulindlela said all wives of the king have their dowry prices paid for by the nation.
“All the cattle in the king’s kraal comes from his subjects as gifts, therefore that means all the wives’ dowries are paid for by the nation. Even the late king never spoke about having one wife whose lobola was paid for by the nation as he knew that all dowry prices were paid for by the nation.”
The leaked minutes form the basis of a statement which was issued by Prince Mbonisi late last week in which he said they would announce the “next king” on March 12, shortly after conducting a cleansing ceremony one year after the passing of King Goodwill Zwelithini.
“As part of preliminaries, the meeting involving the legitimate houses has met and decided the palace where the new king will come from. The official announcement will be made in due course,” said the statement from Prince Mbonisi.
Princess Thembi-Zulu Ndlovu dismissed claims by Prince Vulindlela that she had nominated Prince Simakade.
“It was him (Vulindlela) who came up with the name of Simakade and he was supported by other royal family members like Prince De Klerk Zulu. I think he is now disputing the nomination because they have a new agenda. But still, I stand with Prince Simakade and he should be the next king.
“Also, Prince Simakade was never interested in the throne until he was lobbied by other royal family members to contest for the position. Besides that, he is the right one as he comes from the House of KwaKhangelamankengane, the house that should produce the next king, not the House of KwaDlamahlahla,” she told Independent Media on Tuesday.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
Political Bureau