Johannesburg – The race to succeed late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini has taken a dramatic turn, with more names thrown into the hat for the potential heir, sparking fears that the succession battle could go all the way to the Constitutional Court and plunge the monarchy into turmoil.
Sunday World has reliably established that since the appointment of Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu as regent to oversee the process of installing the next monarch of the AmaZulu nation, cracks and bad blood began to emerge among senior royal members.
The dissatisfied groupings are said to be weighing their options and even contemplating approaching the Constitutional Court to resolve the impasse.
“This is a serious threat to the unity of the Zulu kingdom. Unless something is done as a matter of urgency to quell the brewing tensions, you can expect the divisions to be more visible after the three-month mourning period,” a source in the royal family said.
“The appointment of the queen regent seems to have not settled well with the royal elders. They felt that this was a deviation from the long-held culture and tradition [that dictates that] one of the king’s brothers assumes the role of a regent,” added the source.
Sunday World reported that Prince MisuZulu kaZwelithini of the Kwakhangelamankengane royal palace and the first son of Queen Mantfombi was leading the race to be crowned the king of more than 11 million Zulus.
It has emerged that Prince Simakade, Zwelithini’s eldest son born out of wedlock; Prince Nhlanganiso; and Prince PhumuzuZulu of the Kwadlamahlahla royal palace and born of Queen Nobuhle Mathe were some of the names contesting the throne. PhumuzuZulu is named after his great grandfather King PhumuzuZulu kaDiniZulu.
Sunday World understands that the will, which expressed the late king’s wishes that his third wife Queen Mantfombi be appointed regent, has divided the royal family into factions. About 200 members of the royal family had been summoned for the reading of a will by Zwelithini’s lawyers.
Another royal source said: “This is a tricky situation because the deceased Zwelithini’s first son, Prince Khethukuthula, who was tipped as the next king, has a son. So, there were also talks the first wife of the late King Zwelithini can claim kingship legitimacy on behalf of her grandson.”
According to Dr Maxwell Shamase, a University of Zululand-based academic and contemporary culture expert, unlike in eSwatini, the Zulu kingdom is a constitutional monarch and subscribes to the supremacy of South Africa’s constitution.
“Though Queen Mantfombi is regarded as the great wife and the only one to give birth to an heir apparent, constitutionally other princes can make a legitimate kingship claim.
“Those at the Kwadlamahlahla royal palace can have a strong case and say the fact that the late king was laid to rest there was culturally symbolic. But the reigns are currently with the regent, she is the one charged with the responsibility of naming the next king,” said Shamase.
“By virtue that he is of the eSwatini royal blood, traditionally the throne belongs to him despite his mother being a third wife. But culture and tradition don’t outweigh the constitution,” he said.
Another acclaimed retired academic specialising in Zulu history and culture, professor Jabulani Maphalala, said the murdered AmaZulu Prince Khethukuthula would have had convincing grounds to challenge the throne.
“His mother is the first wife of the royal house and had been married to Isilo in a western or Christian wedding. He was also the first son and was very close to his father King Zwelithini,” said Maphalala.
Spokesperson for the Zulu royal house Prince Mbonisi Zulu didn’t want to comment on the matter.
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