Zulu royal family: Meetings, but throne still empty

27 June 2021 - 00:00 By zimasa matiwane

Prince Misuzulu has written to the traditional prime minister of the Zulu kingdom, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, to explain the importance of entering into negotiations with royal family members opposed to his ascendance to the throne.Buthelezi told the media this week that he had advised Misuzulu to decline a meeting with Princess Nombuso, who is aligned with a faction in the royal family that prefers Prince Simakade for the throne.Despite this, Prince Misuzulu and Princess Nombuso met on Friday in a meeting described as a first step to finding a solution to the impasse.In the letter written in isiZulu, seen by the Sunday Times, Prince Misuzulu informed Buthelezi that he preferred an out-of-court settlement to the dispute to avoid having a court process that drags on for years.He informed Buthelezi that KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala had advised the warring sides to enter into negotiations to find a speedy solution so that a new king could be installed. Prince Misuzulu told Buthelezi that the infighting was giving him sleepless nights. Even though Prince Misuzulu was announced as the new king after the death of his father, King Goodwill Zwelithini, some influential family members want Prince Simakade to take over. After Friday's meeting, Princess Nombuso said there was no bad blood between her and Prince Misuzulu. "We are family. It was just me and my brother talking, but the whole family is fully aware and in support of the dialogue, and they approve. We are not doing anything in hiding. The dialogue is a process for us to get to where we want to go," she said. Buthelezi said on Thursday he had advised Prince Misuzulu not to meet his sister, adding that he did so with no malicious intent. "In light of the present litigation, his majesty King Misuzulu was compelled to decline travelling to KwaKhethomthandayo royal palace yesterday [Wednesday] to meet Princess Nombuso, who is among those contesting his authority. As the matter is sub judice, the law prevents such meetings from taking place," Buthelezi said.Princess Nombuso's siblings, Princess Ntandoyenkosi Zulu and Princess Ntombizosuthu Zulu-Duma, had approached the courts with an urgent application to stop Prince Misuzulu's coronation. His ascendency was announced at the reading of the will of his mother, Queen Mantfombi, which left the throne to him. Queen Mantfombi was appointed as regent through King Zwelithini's will, but its authenticity has been questioned and is the subject of another court case. Zikalala confirmed the meeting with the royal family attended by the late king's wives, at KwaDlamahlahla palace. "I had a consultation with the queens, the princes and princesses. The consultation was about that we have these two nominations [Misuzulu and Simakade] and the maintenance of the palaces," he said. While a new king has not yet been crowned and officially recognised by the government, it is unclear whether the royal trust fund will continue to cater for the late king's widows after the new king's coronation...

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