King Misuzulu KaZwelithini moved to get his house in order with the reinstatement of Thulasizwe Buthelezi as the traditional prime minister of the Zulu nation.
Buthelezi was reappointed at Mashobeni royal palace in Phongolo in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday night, barely a year after he was fired from the position for allegedly meddling in royal matters that didn’t relate to his office.
He was reappointed before the annual Umkhosi Woselwa (the ceremony of the first fruit).
The king made the announcement in front of senior royal family members, and an oath was administered by royal chaplain Canon Hamilton Mbatha.
“I hereby appoint Buthelezi to serve as the traditional prime minister (uNdunankulu) of the Zulu Kingdom, with effect from December 2,” the monarch said.
Buthelezi is the KwaZulu-Natal co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC.
He said the purpose of this mandate is to provide executive leadership, structural co-ordination, and administrative oversight of the affairs of the Zulu Kingdom.
The king also emphasised the authority of the office.
“The prime minister shall serve as the chief executive authority of the Zulu Kingdom beneath the king and represent his majesty in governmental, administrative and developmental matters,” he said.
The king added that the central feature of the appointment is the immediate establishment of the prime minister’s executive council (PMEC) — a historic governance instrument designed to strengthen co-ordination, accountability and strategic direction in the kingdom.
The PMEC is defined as “the highest decision-making body of the Zulu Kingdom, reporting directly to his majesty the king”.
It will consist of five senior officers — the traditional prime minister as chairperson, his deputy, the king’s house of traditional leaders representatives, the royal chancellor and the head of the king’s private office.
The PMEC will:
- approve or decline all initiatives, programmes, engagements, policies and development plans before any implementation occurs;
- ensure that every action taken in the name of the Zulu Kingdom reflects the cultural, administrative and developmental vision of his majesty; and
- serve as the chief oversight body, ensuring proper minutes, resolutions, institutional compliance and accurate reporting to his majesty.
According to the king’s mandate, the PMEC will ensure:
- central co-ordination across government departments and institutions engaging the Zulu kingdom;
- strengthened relationships with amakhosi, traditional councils and governance structures;
- administrative integrity, with all royal directives processed through the private office;
- cultural protection and modern governance alignment, ensuring the king’s vision translates into actionable and measurable outcomes; and
- a unified decision-making environment, reducing fragmentation and ensuring consistency in how the kingdom presents itself to the government, investors and the public.
The decisions of the council will be subject to the king’s final authority.
Speaking after his appointment, Buthelezi said: “I swear to uphold, protect and honour the authority of the king and to serve the Zulu kingdom with integrity, loyalty and impartiality.”
The king’s spokesperson, Prince Thulani Zulu, said this appointment strengthens the administrative architecture and executive governance of the Zulu kingdom.
TimesLIVE
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