The siblings of disputed AmaZulu king MisuZulu kaZwelithini are not going down without a fight.
This time, his sisters, Princess Ntandoyenkosi Zulu and Princess Ntombizosuthu, want MisuZulu to desist from calling himself the King of the Zulu nation. The princesses filed an urgent application in the Pietermaritzburg High Court in KwaZulu-Natal Natal today, where they are seeking, among others, the ritual known as ukungena esibayeni to be halted. Key respondents in the matter are MisuZulu and Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi in his capacity as the AmaZulu traditional Prime minister.
The showdown happens as King MisuZulu and other royal members sympathetic to him are holding a custom known as ukungena esibayeni (entering the kraal). When entering the kraal, the king is surrounded by segments of amabutho and senior royals, who speak to the departed king asking for his journey of looking after the nation. It also includes the singing of traditional music called amahubo, which is considered as a way of connecting with the ancestors.
Should the ceremony be completed, it will be followed by the king’s coronation, where President Cyril Ramaphosa will issue MisuZulu with a certificate confirming him as the undisputed king.
The two princesses, who are key opponents of MisuZulu, allege that will that nominated him to be king was forged. They also joined their mother in the legal bid to lay her hands on 50% of the late king’s estate.
There are at least four factions in the royal house who are against MisuZulu’s ascendancy to the throne. They include the late King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu’s first-born son out of wedlock, Prince Simakade. Last week, Simakade performed his own ukungena esibayeni ritual where he declared himself the king of the Zulus.
The two princesses also want the process the certification
Zulu #InkosiEsibayeni #Misuzulu pic.twitter.com/8NAv4Zf32U
— The Duke (@TheDukeofOndini) August 19, 2022
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