Johannesburg – Cracks and bad blood continue to rage on in the AmaZulu royal house over who should be accorded the status of AmaZulu monarch following in the footsteps of the late AmaZulu King Zwelithini kaBhekuZulu.
On Thursday, AmaZulu traditional prime minister Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi laid bare the hostile atmosphere between the royal siblings who have been divided into warring factions supporting their preferred candidates to ascend the throne.
During the media briefing, Buthelezi revealed for the first time that a faction dubbed as ‘royal dissidents’ has submitted the name of Prince Simakade as the next king of AmaZulu nation.
Prince Simakade is the eldest son of the late king born out of wedlock.
“There have been various attempts by the lawyers to try and reach out to those who lodged the court application. But they are refusing to settle the matter amicably as a family,” explained prince Buthelezi.
Also read: Royal tiff over throne burns hot
He painted a gloomy picture, saying if it were not for the constitutional democracy that the country enjoys, a deadly war would have long ensued between the warring factions who refuse to smoke the peace pipe.
Prince Buthelezi also used the briefing to confirm the Sunday World story published on Sunday that a royal faction supporting Simakade had written a letter to KZN premier Sihle Zikalala requesting that their candidate must be assigned VIP protection. Currently the recognized king of AmaZulu is MisuZulu who was nominated through a will by his late mother Queen Mantfombi in her capacity as regent.
“Some members of the royal family have written to the premier, asking that the same security afforded to the current king be granted to Prince Simakade,” said Prince Buthelezi.
Since the sudden passing of Zwelithini in March, the AmaZulu royal house has seen no peace with the royal siblings jostling for the kingship which comes with lucrative benefits including an annual budget running to millions of rand allocated by the state for the royal upkeep.
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