The Zulu royal family has distanced itself from an attempt to sow divisions between King Misuzulu KaZwelithini and the KwaZulu-Natal government.
A letter dated August 21, allegedly from the king summoning premier Thami Ntuli and co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi to an urgent meeting, was “leaked” online.
According to the letter, the king called Ntuli and Buthelezi to a meeting after they allegedly authorised, without his consent, certain traditional leadership changes in the Ntombela clan in kwaNobamba and Mdletshe clan in kwaHlabisa.
It is alleged Buthelezi had replaced izinduna who are not IFP members and was apparently in the process of changing traditional leadership in the Mdletshe clan.
Zulu royal family spokesperson Prince Thulani Zulu said the letter was fake and from people who want to sow divisions between the king and the provincial government.
“You know there are problems in the royal family and we are aware there is a covert campaign to create tensions between the king and the provincial government,” he said.
Zulu said the king had not called a meeting.
However, while the letter is fake, the situation is tense in the Ntombela and Mdletshe clans over traditional leadership changes, which has seen amabhinca nation president Ngizwe Mchunu enter the fray.
Mchunu lashed out at Buthelezi for allegedly recognising the son of the late Mdletshe clan regent Bonga Mdletshe. The late regent was an IFP member who also represented the party in the KZN legislature between 2004 and 2019.
Mchunu accused Buthelezi of stirring trouble in the Mdletshe clan.
Buthelezi' spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila didn't respond to queries.
KwaZulu-Natal head of government communications Bongani Gina confirmed the king had not summoned the premier to a meeting.
TimesLIVE
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