Battle over Zulu throne heats up

● The Zulu royal household is forging ahead with plans for King Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s coronation despite two legal actions to prevent it.

The Sunday Times can reveal that the coronation committee has decided to hold the event on August 13.

The spokesperson for the king, Prince Thulani Zulu, did not confirm or deny the date when asked to by the Sunday Times.

“I don’t have any idea on the date of coronation as yet. The traditional prime minister will announce it at an appropriate time,” he said.

He emphasised that the coronation committee was not bothered by legal threats and was going ahead with its work.

“We have been doing preparation for the coronation and we are continuing. I have not heard any decision by any court that prohibits the coronation committee from making preparations. “All I know is that there is decision by the president that King Misuzulu is the king of the Zulu nation and there is a government gazette to that effect. We are aware that there is an appeal against that decision but are not bothered, it’s a battle of the legal advisers,” the spokesperson said.

In March, President Cyril Ramaphosa formally recognised Prince Misuzulu as the Zulu king, a decision being challenged by other royals, led by late King Goodwill Zwelithini’s brother Prince Mbonisi, in the Pretoria high court.

In a founding affidavit filed by Prince Mbonisi, citing Ramaphosa and the coronation committee as respondents, he argues that Ramaphosa’s formal recognition of King Misuzulu was “unconstitutional”.

He says the president “did not apply his mind to all the material issues and he ignored relevant considerations set out in at least three documents sent to him by members of the Zulu royal family”. The application seeks to interdict King Misuzulu from presenting himself as the lawfully recognised king pending the outcome of legal proceedings.

The application also seeks to interdict the coronation committee from conducting any business or convening any meetings in which the coronation of King Misuzulu is the subject.

“An interdict that the activities of the coronation committee be suspended pending the outcome of the review application is necessary and would give effect to the rights of the Zulu royal family to have their dispute over the succession to the Zulu throne properly ventilated in a court of law.”

The second case is an application to the Supreme Court of Appeal against a judgment handed down in the Pietermaritzburg high court which found King Misuzulu to be “undisputed successor to the throne”.

In his court application against Ramaphosa’s recognition of King Misuzulu, Prince Mbonisi said: “The interdict is also necessary to preserve the dignity of the Zulu throne whose sacredness has been desecrated by a plethora of unlawful activities conducted by Prince Misuzulu kaZwelithini Zulu and sup

I have not heard any decision by any court that prohibits the coronation committee from making preparations

Prince Thulani Zulu

ported by Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. The lawfulness of the recognition process both in terms of customary law and statute is the subject of pending court cases in the high court and the SCA.”

The family has been divided by the fight for succession since the death of King Goodwill Zwelithini more than a year ago.

In a media briefing on Thursday, Prince Mbonisi blamed Buthelezi for the succession chaos. But Buthelezi dismissed the claims as “ludicrous” and “unfounded”.