Durban - In preparation for his coronation at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s ritual of entering the sacred royal kraal will take place in Nongoma on August 20.
This was announced late on Wednesday evening by Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Buthelezi is the monarch’s traditional prime minister, and as such all important announcements for the monarch and the Zulu nation come through him.
The entering the Kraal (ukungena esibayeni in Zulu) ceremony is performed in line with Zulu custom in order for the king to fulfil the necessary rituals in celebration of his installation as the leader of the Zulu nation.
“On behalf of His Majesty King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini, and at the request of the Zulu royal family, I am pleased to announce that His Majesty will perform the traditional ceremony of entering the cattle kraal (ukungena esibayeni) at KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace on Saturday, 20 August 2022.
JUST IN: Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has announced that the ritual of ukungena esibayeni of King Misuzulu will be on August 20. This ceremony is performed in line with Zulu custom in order for the King to fulfil the necessary rituals in celebration of his installation. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) August 3, 2022
“This ceremony is performed in line with Zulu custom in order for the King to fulfil the necessary rituals in celebration of his installation as King of the Zulu Nation. As the President of South Africa (Cyril Ramaphosa) has recognised and announced His Majesty’s position, the King has ascended to the throne de facto and de jure,” Buthelezi announced on Wednesday.
Buthelezi said members of the public are welcomed to attend this ceremony where the Zulu royal ancestors will be formally informed that King Misuzulu has taken over from his late father, King Goodwill Zwelithini, and ask them to guide and protect him.
“The traditional ceremony of His Majesty entering the kraal will precede this formality and will take place at the King’s own Palace. Members of the royal family and Amakhosi will be present, and an invitation is hereby extended to anyone who wishes to witness this historic ceremony.
“In due course, an announcement will be made as to the programme of proceedings, to ensure that the ceremony is orderly, despite the likelihood of large numbers of attendees. For now, we simply announce that on 20 August 2022, His Majesty will enter the kraal,” Buthelezi said.
Meanwhile, Buthelezi also announced that the King’s much-awaited coronation will take place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
The stadium can accommodate up to 85 000 seated guests.
Previously, it was agreed that the coronation should take place in Nongoma. But after considering that the remote town of Nongoma cannot accommodate all the expected guests, it was agreed that it should be moved to Durban.
“The handing over of a certificate (coronation) by the President, which is both symbolic and formally required, will take place on a date yet to be determined. It has been agreed between the King and the President that will be at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
“On Friday, 29th July 2022, this agreement between the King and the President was announced to the meeting of the royal family about the venue of the handing over of the certificate by the President to the King, at Moses Mabhida Stadium. There were no issues raised either for, or against in view of the previous agreement of the meeting of the royal family where the royal family had agreed unanimously that the ceremony will be at Enyokeni Palace.
“Later His Majesty the King responded to the issue by saying that the choice of Moses Mabhida Stadium as a venue was found more suitable, as there was likely to be a problem of accommodation for some of his guests if it was held at any of the palaces.”
On July 26, Prince Mbonisi Zulu, a brother of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini, lost a high court bid to stop the coronation on the basis that there was a dispute since King Misuzulu was wrongly identified as a successor.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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