AmaZulu King MisuZulu kaZwelithini will not attend the funeral of long-serving AmaZulu traditional prime minister Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Buthelezi died early on Saturday morning and will be laid to rest on Friday.
The news was confirmed on Tuesday by the king’s spokesperson Prince Africa Zulu of the Onkweni royal house.
“Unfortunately, His Majesty is unable to attend his prime minister’s funeral as the king is forbidden by cultural policies that dictate his reign,” Zulu told Sunday World.
He explained that if the king was only a prince, he would have no qualms attending the funeral proceedings.
“This is one of the sad things about being a Zulu king, it is a lonely journey indeed.”
Buthelezi, who passed away at the age of 95 at his ancestral home of KwaPhindangene in eMahlabathini outside Ulundi, is credited with staging a solitary fight vouching for MisuZulu to be installed as the king.
This was at the height of a fierce battle for the AmaZulu throne following the passing of Queen Regent Mantfombi Dlamini.
While the pair were close allies, their relationship had deteriorated at the time Buthelezi took his last breath at the weekend.
At the heart of frosty relations was the disagreement on who should occupy the helm of the Ingonyama Trust.
The entity was formed on the eve of 1994 democratic elections to control over 2-million hectares of the tribal land in KwaZulu-Natal.
Buthelezi had advocated for long-time chairperson and retired judge Jerome Ngwenya to remain in the post while the king preferred his confidante Inkosi Thanduyise Mzimela.
The entity, whose sole trustee is the AmaZulu king, is considered a strategic asset not only because it controls vast tracts of land, but also collects millions in land leases from big corporates and mining companies.
Ngwenya has been the chairperson of the board since it was constituted in early 2000s.
Another matter that pitted Buthelezi and MisuZulu against each other was the claim that the king surrounded himself with vultures and political opportunists “who wanted to take the land off the custodianship of the traditional leaders”.
Buthelezi loyalists also contended that MisuZulu had switched political allegiance and was seen to have aligned himself with the ANC in the province.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared that Buthelezi will be honoured with a special official funeral category one.
As preparations unfold for memorial events, Ramaphosa reiterated his condolences to the royal house and friends, colleagues and associates of Buthelezi, said the Presidency.
It said the state, official and provincial official funeral policy of government accords special official funerals category one to persons of extraordinary credentials.
Buthelezi’s funeral will entail elements of military honours.
The president also directed that flags be flown at half-mast at flag stations around the country from Tuesday until the evening before the day of the funeral.
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