The dirty linen of under-fire Zulu King MisuZulu kaZwelithini was hung out in court by family members as part of a concerted effort to ridicule and drive him off the throne.
This is according to royal insiders who told Sunday World that voices calling for his head have grown louder.
At the core of the campaign is the bid to stop his coronation at all costs, and should this fail, to undermine him as a king.
“This is part of a campaign to frustrate the king, hoping that the pressure will be unbearable and he will voluntarily stand down. The only person who is protecting the throne right now is Shenge [Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi].
“The king made a mistake when he publicly showed his frustration about what was happening in the royal house. By doing so, he was playing into the hands of Prince Mbonisi [kaBhekuZulu] and his group,” said the insider, who is not authorised to speak to the media.
The insider was referring to an incident where kaZwelithini was addressing a gathering organised by his charity organisation, the King MisuZulu Foundation, where he was donating food parcels to Durban flood victims.
“During his address, mainly in isiZulu, he raised his grave concern on the shenanigans playing out in the royal house, saying his own flesh and blood had made him their sworn enemy and wanted him dethroned by hook or crook.
“He called on the Zulu people to defend the throne because they knew who their rightful king was.”
The source further said MisuZulu’s detractors were opportunistically using the known problem of the king’s battle with alcohol as a rallying point.
Another insider said the so-called royal dissidents had held several meetings where they hatched a push-back strategy, which will ensure that MisuZulu doesn’t have peace on the throne.
“The aim of these meetings is to hatch a strategy to undermine the reigning king.
“The plan was also to convince amabutho to side with Prince Mbonisi in his pursuit of dethroning the king. They were disappointed when amabutho refused to support their campaign,” said the source.
Sunday World also established that MisuZulu’s foes are waiting patiently for Prince Buthelezi to depart so that they can take him on.
They accuse Buthelezi of shielding MisuZulu.
In the Pretoria high court matter, Prince Mbonisi, who is the brother of MisuZulu’s father, the late King Zwelithini kaBhekuZulu, accuses his brother’s son of being a drunkard who is not fit to be a king.
The main application by Mbonisi and 12 other royal family members is an attempt to nullify the decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to recognise MisuZulu as king.
The faction claims that Ramaphosa erred in his decision.
They also want the coronation of MisuZulu to be stopped.
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