The unceremonious dismissal of Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, the former prime minister of the AmaZulu nation and the throne, was long overdue.
This is according to Zulu cultural experts, who assert that Buthelezi was fired from his influential position in the same manner that he was appointed.
When AmaZulu King MisuZulu KaZwelithini unexpectedly announced in January that he was appointing Buthelezi to the role left vacant by the passing away of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, there were murmurs that he was unfit for the role.
In contrast to his predecessor, who was an Inkosi of the Buthelezi clan in his own right and whose ancestry was that of the royal house, some observers pointed out that he fell short of the credentials and pedigree of the late former KwaZulu prime minister.
Recall shocked the nation
“It’s the first time in history that a traditional prime minister was dismissed after only a year in office,” explained Dr Maxwell Zakhele Shamase, the cultural and contemporary history academic at the University of Zululand.
“But from the moment he was appointed, not many welcomed him. Others felt he was a hindrance to those who wanted to be close to the king.
“He also lacked the needed credentials; he was not a traditional leader of any clan. His appointment, similar to his recall, shocked many.”
Shamase attributed Buthelezi’s run-ins with the ANC top brass in KwaZulu-Natal as among the issues that created a rift between him and the king.
These include the incident in KwaCeza, close to Olundi, where Buthelezi and Siboniso Duma, the provincial chairperson of the ANC, clashed in front of hundreds of spectators.
Clashes with ANC bigwigs
“On numerous occasions, he argued and butted heads with ANC [provincial] secretary Bheki Mtolo,” Shamase said. “Who can forget the mic incident between Buthelezi and Duma? That somehow contributed to the relationship breakdown between him and the king.
“But we cannot also downplay the perception that he was sacked because he is viewed as a threat to businesspeople who want to exert undue influence in Ingonyama Trust affairs.”
King MisuZulu shocked the nation when he announced his decision last week to remove Buthelezi from the position. The king, however, explained that he would make public his reasons for the dismissal in due course.
While the king considers who to name, Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza, the deputy traditional prime minister and a prominent figure in MK Party, has assumed the responsibilities of the traditional prime minister. Chiliza is an inkosi under the eMadungeni tribal authority.
Professor Jabulani Maphalala, another distinguished historian and scholar, stated that although some people might disagree with the dual roles of politicians who also serve as traditional prime ministers, the two are not necessarily at odds.
Polarising figure
Buthelezi is the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for traditional affairs and cooperative governance and a powerful figure in the IFP.
“There’s nothing wrong for a politician to become a traditional prime minister as long as he can balance the two by being impartial,” Maphalala said.
“What I believe contributed to Buthelezi’s troubles was that he was seen as a polarising figure. He did not do much to unite traditional leaders.
“He also made a blunder by bringing Prince Mbonisi Zulu closer to the throne because we know how he [the prince] had opposed the king ascending to the throne.”
Prince Mbonisi Zulu is the brother of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekuZulu. He was the leading opponent of MisuZulu’s accession to the throne, arguing that he was unfit to hold the position. His spirited fight went all the way to the courts.
