‘Apology to the king needs cows’: Zulu commander on Duma’s clash with PM

KwaZulu-Natal ANC chair Siboniso Duma’s apology to Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini who witnessed brewing political tension between him and Zulu traditional prime minister Thulasizwe Buthelezi playing out in front of crowds at the weekend, will have to be more than just words to “cleanse embarrassment” from the royal house.

Duma snatched a microphone from Buthelezi in front of the king and President Cyril Ramaphosa during the commemoration of King Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo in kwaCeza. 

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Amabutho regiments' commander Sipho Mhlongo said Duma has to humble himself before the royal house and apologise for his behaviour, which had tainted the commemoration.

“We are waiting for the people who embarrassed the king in front of the nation to go and apologise. When you apologise to the king you do not just say 'I am sorry', you plead for your forgiveness and you get fined. There needs to be a certain number of cows you bring when pleading for forgiveness,” Mhlongo said. 

Mhlongo said Duma was not banned from the royal house, saying he was welcome to offer his apology, adding that “he should not take too long”. 

Criticising Duma, Mhlongo said the MEC’s behaviour was “degrading” not only to Buthelezi but to traditional leaders. He believed that Duma should have used a different technique to address Buthelezi if he felt he was being unfair towards the governing party. 

“If you are on the programme you have the power to direct, when a speaker says something that is offensive then one should politely say ‘point of order, we are not there’. Or wait for the speaker to finish and thereafter address the issues raised. It is unfortunate that politicians fight in their spaces and now want to fight also in front of the king — that is an embarrassment,” he said. 

For peace to prevail there must be a separation of politics from the royal house matters, Mhlongo said. 

“We are in this predicament because of people who cannot separate politics from the matters of the royal house. It is important to also know that people cannot attack each other because of political affiliations. Everyone, belonging to different political parties, belongs in the royal house but it is important to have common respect and respect for traditional leaders. The king said we should rely the message that everyone belonging to all political parties belongs in the royal house,” he said.

Buthelezi, in his speech to welcome the king, criticised the provincial government and before he could speak about ANC secretary Bheki Mtolo, Duma grabbed the microphone saying he was “messing up” the event and turning it into political mudslinging.

Duma said Buthelezi, who is also an IFP senior and mayor of Zululand district municipality, had been on a spree of bashing ANC leaders and “failed” to be politically neutral in his new role as prime minister. 

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