Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal government has vowed to double its efforts to bring unity to the Zulu royal family following the declaration of another king.
After the “crowning” of the late king Zwelithini’s eldest son, Prince Simakade Zulu, at the weekend, Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said she would double her efforts to ensure the Zulu royal family became a symbol of unity.
The premier did not want to state publicly how she was going to tackle the seemingly intractable Zulu kingship dispute, saying she preferred not to discuss the matter publicly.
The battle took a new turn when the faction opposed to King Misuzulu performed the entering of the kraal ceremony, before he could perform the same ritual, scheduled to take place this coming weekend.
Prince Simakade, whose faction urged the media to refer to him as king, addressed the public on Sunday after he entered the kraal early on Sunday. In a televised address, the “new king” took a swipe at the people he said were poking their noses in the affairs of the royal family.
Without mentioning them by name, he urged them to leave the royal family to deal with its issues. He also took a swipe at President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying his kingship was not decided “on a briefcase”. In challenging the government’s recognition of King Misuzulu, the Simakade faction has, in the past, claimed that the president has “captured” him.
In an apparent response to Simakade’s kraal-entering, Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, in his capacity as the Zulu nation’s traditional prime minister, issued a long statement saying that the kraal entering ceremony was not how a king was installed, adding that many questions had been asked by various people as to what the meaning of the ceremony was and what it entailed.
He said it had been presumed that the ceremony of Ukungena Esibayeni (entering the kraal) amounted to the anointing of the king of the Zulu nation, but this was not the case. Buthelezi said that rather, the ceremony was closer in nature to a traditional prayer and ritual wishing the king well and declaring the people’s loyalty to him.
Buthelezi added that when his first cousin, His Majesty King Cyprian Bhekuzulu Nyangayezizwe ka Solomon, entered the cattle kraal in the 1950s, it was actually done some time after his formal installation, saying he accompanied him as he walked the short distance from his royal palace of KwaDhlamahlahla to the cattle kraal.
King Misuzulu’s spokesperson, Prince Thulani Zulu, said they were not interested in what the other side had done at the weekend, saying their focus was on the coming ceremony of the recognised king.
Meanwhile, the provincial government said it would play an active role in King Misuzulu’s entering the kraal ceremony, which would take place at his palace, KwaKhangelamankengana.
In a statement by the premier’s office on Monday, it said it had adopted an integrated approach involving provincial government departments and municipalities to ensure the success of this weekend’s activities.
“A team of senior government officials representing different spheres of government is involved in the planning and execution of the historic activities that will usher in a new era.
“The Royal Household Directorate, which is located in the Office of the Premier, will play a greater role in the public engagements of the monarch in order to generate positive publicity for our province. The Zulu monarchy, as an institution recognised by the Constitution … gives this province a uniqueness that we must utilise as a competitive edge to advance the social and economic lives of our people and the prosperity of our region,” read the statement.
Daily News