Johannesburg – With speculation on who should ascend the powerful throne of the AmaZulu monarchy coming to a dramatic end on Friday night, following the announcement of Prince MisuZulu kaZwelithini Zulu as the rightful heir to lead the AmaZulu nation, the AmaSwati royal house has quickly stepped in to offer aid and protection to the king-in-waiting.
Prince MisuZulu is the eldest son of the departed Queen Regent Mantfombi Dlamini of the Kwakhangelamankengane royal palace and the great wife of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini ka- BhekuZulu. Emotions ran high on Friday after the memorial service of the late queen regent descended into chaos, with royal siblings baying for each other’s blood.
What was a relatively peaceful event turned sour when advocate Madoda Griffiths Madonsela said according to the queen’s wishes, her first son should succeed his father.
The will reading sparked moaning and grumbling by royal siblings, with Prince Thokozani, one of King Zwelithini’s brothers publicly challenging the will.
This saw AmaZulu traditional prime minister Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi calling the prince to order.
The heated atmosphere forced heavily armed guards of Prince MisuZulu, brandishing automatic rifles, to whisk him off to a place of safety.
“After the drama at the memorial service on Friday, the prince did not sleep at the royal palace. He was escorted and it’s not clear where he was off to,” the royal insider said.
He said the situation was exacerbated by the passing of the queen regent under mysterious circumstances.
“The rumours that the late queen was poisoned angered the queen’s brother [eSwatini’s absolute monarch, King Mswati III]. This has also created sour relations between the eSwatini royal house and the Zulu kingdom.”
According to unconfirmed reports, the incoming king spent Friday night at eSwatini. He was, however, reportedly seen at Kwakhangelamankengane palace on Saturday afternoon.
According to the reports, the would-be king was advised to return to the royal palace and face his detractors.
Eswatini royal seniors are said to have advised him that staying away from the palace will give his enemies the impetus to mount a fierce fight.
The queen regent succumbed to an undisclosed illness last week at Milpark Hospital, and it has since emerged that she might have been poisoned after toxins were reportedly discovered in her liver.
“eSwatini has raised concerns that judging by the circumstances surrounding the queen’s death, there might be people who might want to harm the prince,” said another insider.
King Zwelithini’s first wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini, approached the Pietermaritzburg High Court on an urgent basis demanding that she be accorded 50% of the late king estate.
She also claims that as she is the only legally recognised wife of the late king, his successor should come from her household in the royal palace of Kwakhethomthandayo.
Royal spokesperson Prince Thulani Zulu declined to comment.
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