Durban - Following a spate of assassinations since September, which claimed the lives of high-profile royal figures close to Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, security around his inner circle has been beefed up.
Almost all the king’s men are now tailed by heavily armed bodyguards wherever they go.
The changes come after the royal institution was shocked and shaken when the former chairperson of the Osuthu royal council, Dr Dumisani Khumalo, was killed in September last year in Nongoma.
That was shortly after he had returned from the 2022 royal reed dance (Umkhosi Womhlanga) ceremony which was held at the contested eNyokeni Palace in Nongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
In October, Mphemba Ntuli, an Induna (headman) of the Osuthu area, was killed with four others while in Nongoma.
In November, Prince Mbongiseni Zulu, a key member of the king’s inner circle, was also gunned down while in Nongoma.
The most notable changes around their security were first seen on Friday last week in Richards Bay during the memorial lecture of the late King Cetshwayo, the legendary Zulu King who ordered the battle of Isandlwana in January 1879.
At the event, almost all the men in the king’s inner circle had bodyguards who kept a close eye on them.
Among those seen tailed by bodyguards was Prince Simphiwe Zulu of KwaMinyamanzi royal house.
Prince Simphiwe, who has been on the king’s side since he took the throne in May last year, was recently appointed King Misuzulu’s representative in the KwaZulu-Natal House of Traditional Leaders in Pietermaritzburg and the National House of Traditional Leaders in Cape Town.
Another king’s man who was tailed by bodyguards at the event was Prince Thulani (a half-brother of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini) who is uncle to the reigning king.
A royal insider said the security measure was put in place after it became clear that there was a campaign to eliminate all those around the king, and isolate him.
“These assassinations are targeted and they want to kill all those influential people around the king and leave him isolated.
“They want some of those around the king to surrender in fear, disappear and not be seen in public with him.
“Sadly for them, this is not going work because all those who are vulnerable have been provided with round-the-clock security which is not easy to breach,” the royal source told IOL.
Royal spokesperson Prince Thulani Zulu could not be reached for an official comment regarding this matter.
His phone was off at the time this report was compiled.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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