0 of 13
A royal burial, an international princess, a controversial artist and a send-off befitting a Zulu king.
Those are some of the scenes that marked two days of mourning for the late Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini, who was buried in a private, all-male burial on Wednesday night following his death in a Durban hospital of Covid-19 complications on Friday.
King Goodwill Zwelithini would have been laid to rest in a seated position, adorned in animal skins, with maize seeds and traditional beer among other items placed before him at the ceremony conducted at midnight.
University of KwaZulu-Natal cultural expert Prof Nogwaja Zulu unpacked the rituals of Wednesday night’s private ceremony at an unknown location in Nongoma.
“It is believed that kings were born out of a reed — a tall, slender-leaved plant of the grass family, which grows in water or on marshy ground,” he said.
“It is believed that the first Zulu king was born out of the reed plant ... Being born that way, kings are believed not to die but to have bowed.
“When a king is being buried, it is believed he is being planted, he is going back to where he came from — that reed.”
He said according to Zulu belief, the king was not dead but had transcended to another world.
“We don’t refer to his body as a corpse but as a body, as if he is living. He goes to the world of the afterlife, to the world of kings who were born from the reed.”
He added the midnight burial was significant.
We were blessed by his strength and boldness, for he spoke without fear or favour.
— Traditional prime minister to the Zulu nation Mangosuthu Buthelezi
“The burial at midnight is a symbol — the king is departing from the present life at midnight and he transcends to the new world at the break of a new day. He goes to the world of the afterlife, he goes to the world of kings.”
Zulu said the burial of Zulu kings had always been shrouded in secrecy.
“Sometimes not all members of the royal family will know where he is buried. There will be some people who will be guarding the gravesite for some period, I believe.
“In terms of the burial, I’m taking this from what has been written by Prince Zeblon Zulu in his book. In it he says before King Mpande — the half brother of King Shaka — died, he told his chief confidant to hunt a lion, so that he would have a blanket. So we know from that, that when kings die they are usually wrapped in a lion’s skin.”
Zulu said the skin of a male ox could also be used to shroud a Zulu monarch, as they signified strength and power.
On Thursday, scores of subjects of the late Zulu monarch, royalty from the continent and an international princess, politicians, amabutho and maidens descended on the KwaKhethomthandayo royal palace in Nongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
While the occasion was sombre — the official memorial service of the late monarch — there were scenes of singing, dancing and chanting outside the gates, where loyal subjects honoured the king who ruled for almost 50 years.
Despite a severe weather warning, the heavens held out, as dignitaries including Benoni-born Princess Charlene of Monaco, dressed in black, Swazi royalty, politicians and members of the royal family took their seats in a marquee erected on the palace grounds.
After hearing of his death, the princess and former Olympic swimmer said: “King Goodwill Zwelithini was an honourable man with a pure heart. We shared many special moments over the years which I will forever hold dear to me. I will miss my friend and pray that the Zulu royal family find solace and comfort during this time.”
During the official ceremony, traditional prime minister to the Zulu nation Mangosuthu Buthelezi described King Goodwill Zwelithini as a leader whose long reign would be remembered as one of peace.
In a moving tribute, Buthelezi said: “We were blessed by his strength and boldness, for he spoke without fear or favour. What he spoke, he also did. When he told us to till our lands and plant our fields, he led by example. He told us to produce food so that our families would be fed and our communities survive. This showed great foresight, in the gathering storm of economic crisis.
“If it were not for him, our king, our nation would be poorer.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa said it was a difficult day for South Africans, who were in mourning after a “huge tree had fallen”.
Delivering the eulogy at the memorial service of the late Zulu monarch at the KwaKhethomthandayo Royal Palace on Thursday, Ramaphosa said “the passing of Isilo Samabandla Onke has been met with grief and sorrow throughout our land”.
He said that Mangosuthu Buthelezi had updated him on the medical condition of the monarch.
Ramaphosa said the king was “the staunchest defender of his people” who “advanced their culture, their customs, their traditions and a deep sense of identity and nationhood”.
He said King Zwelithini played a significant role in the achievement of democracy, and will be remembered for his role as a bridge-builder in “bringing peace and stability to KwaZulu-Natal during the difficult times our country went through”.
“As a leader, he preached peace and unity. He abhorred violence and its consequences.”
The president added that the king also played a significant role in social issues. He advocated for better health outcomes among his people, leading from the front in the fight against HIV/Aids and TB and spearheaded a vital campaign to reintroduce safe male circumcision (ukusoka).
The king’s successor was expected to be revealed to the family during a private meeting and reading of his will after the memorial service.
The king’s sister, Princess Thembi Ndlovu, who delivered a tribute on behalf of the siblings, said that only God knows who would succeed him.
“People like asking who will be the successor but I want to say that only God knows that; even the king is likely not to have known.
“He was brave but stubborn too, even when he was sick, you could not tell that he is not feeling well, he would hide it in his voice because he was very protective,” said Princess Thembi.
The king lived among us. He would drive on this very road and greet everybody, even inside the taxi rank. That made us very happy as the a Zulu nation, because we trusted him for his wisdom and his leadership.
— Scelo Mkhwanazi
She also asked the royal family to be united as the king was a person of peace “he used to bring us together, therefore I’d ask that his gains are not reversed. I ask that we maintain the respect, even here at the royal house.”
She also thanked amabutho for honouring the King despite Covid-19 limitations, including those who could not make it to KwaNongoma and are mourning the king in different corners of the country.
Someone else who praised the Zulu king was controversial artist Lebani “Rasta” Sirenje, who said he braved threats on his life to visit KwaZulu-Natal and bring his two portraits of the monarch.
Rasta said that he started painting on Saturday and worked until he finished the two paintings on Tuesday.
“We learnt about King Goodwill Zwelithini when we were still in school, so it’s very significant to me as an African.”
He said he had painted two portraits of the king because he wanted to present one to the royal family, and to keep the second one to exhibit and possibly sell later.
Outside the palace amabutho, maidens and subjects gathered despite calls to watch the memorial service from their homes or public viewing sites, fuelling concern that the gathering in the time of the pandemic could have disastrous consequences.
Nongoma mayor Albert Mncwango had urged people of the northern KwaZulu-Natal rural town to refrain from attending Thursday’s memorial service and instead use the three public viewing areas set up in the town.
“We, as the local municipality, are trying our best to keep the numbers as low as possible. To control the influx of people, especially on Thursday, to the royal palace we have made arrangements for public viewing areas in three different areas of Nongoma,” Mncwango said.
However, there were several hundred people who filled the taxi rank to watch the king’s memorial service, which was broadcast in screens live from the KwaKhethomthandayo royal palace.
One of those, Scelo Mkhwanazi, said the nation was weeping at the loss of the longest reigning Zulu monarch in history.
“We are all in mourning at KwaNongoma because the king lived among us. He would drive on this very road and greet everybody, even inside the taxi rank.
“That made us very happy as a Zulu nation, because we trusted him for his wisdom and his leadership.”
After the memorial scores of amabutho blocked the gate of the palace, demanding to be let inside to pay their final respects to the king.
Security had to make an improvised exit to allow some dignitaries to leave the grounds during this time.
