IN PICS | AmaZulu King reflects on faith and legacy at royal prayer service

AmaZulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini's desire to maintain his relationship with his late mother, Queen Mantfombi, in the afterlife is what ignited his religious side.

Misuzulu revealed a conversation he had had with his mother had convinced him to go to church. “She had dedicated her life to the Lord and had no doubt that she would be with Him in heaven one day,” he said.

“From the way you love me and don't go to church, our relationship will only exist in this world. Forget about heaven because people who live as you do don't make it there.” He said those words from his mother forced him to reflect deeply and that's when he realised life in this world was short. He used the example of the late King Shaka Zulu, saying he had only lived for about 40 years but had been gone for almost 200 years. 

“That touched me a lot and I had a long and deep introspection. She was showing me the difference between living for the now and living for the tomorrow.”

Misuzulu was speaking to those gathered for the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church's annual prayer service at the KwaKhangelamankengane royal palace in Nongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday. The church was the late queen's preference and the one she convinced her eight children to attend.

Princess Ntandeyenkosi also narrated a story she was told by her late mother, Queen Mantfombi, in 1998. She said the queen had made a pact with God when she was very sick that she would send all her children on the religious route.

“She was very sick at the time and almost lost her life. She said the first thing she said while being transported to the hospital was: 'God, please don't take me before I take my children to church', and that is what she did.”

She took them to the SDA church, which they instantly fell in love with and never looked back.

“That's when the seed was planted. We didn't have to be pushed after that. We were crazy over it. We even organised for them to have dinner here. She made a promise to God, and she kept it.”

Zulu prime minister Rev Thulasizwe Buthelezi said King Misuzulu had always made it clear since ascending to the throne that he would lead the nation by following the word of God.

He added that the church was no stranger to the royal palace as all its leadership from all over the continent had come to pay their respects to the reigning king in 2022 when he ascended to the throne and expressed their wishes to build a church in the palace in honour of the late queen.

The Zulu monarch once again raised his concerns about gun and gender-based violence in the province and asked for the church's prayers to end it.

“Please pray for the nation and the province because there is a lot that hurts me about it. I'm concerned because this was not happening under King Zwelithini but it's happening under my reign, I'm not sure if I'm the one being disrespected.”

SDA pastor Andrew Moonsamy offered prayers for the king and all royal house members. Durban-based businesspeople from the Shembe church, unable to attend the king's birthday last month, used the occasion to present belated birthday gifts, including two cows and a new throne.