President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration is pulling out all the stops to ensure the coronation of amaZulu King MisuZulu kaZwelithini is not used by the president’s detractors to embarrass him.
Ramaphosa and his entourage of ministers will descend on the Moses Mabhida Stadium for the ceremony on Saturday, amid fears that there might be attempts to use the event to remind him that KwaZulu-Natal ANC structures do not support his bid for a second term at the helm of the governing party.
It has also emerged that pro-democracy activists from eSwatini, along with the SACP and Cosatu, are planning a march against King Mswati III, who will be attending the ceremony of his nephew.
Mswati is the brother of the late AmaZulu queen regent Mantfombi Dlamini, MisuZulu’s mother.
There will be extraordinarily tight security at the event because of concerns over the re-emergence of groups such as Amadelangokubona, flood victims that continue to be homeless and the amabutho, who are unhappy that the government is considering scrapping the Ingonyama Trust.
About 49 000 people will be allowed into the stadium while 30 000 more will be accommodated at the People’s Park.
The ceremony will be attended by international dignitaries, including kings and queens.
A police colonel in KwaZulu-Natal told Sunday World that fears are rife that Ramaphosa could face a hostile reception in the province.
“We are leaving nothing to chance this time around. Police intelligence is on high alert. Senior members of the [national] police task force were dispatched at the beginning of October to work with us to detect and act on any possible threats prior to the king’s coronation,” said the top cop.
“Here at home, you have the issue of the president and the KZN political dynamics. We have our hands full and several units have been set up to deal with any eventualities.”
Ramaphosa will be visiting eThekwini after the ANC’s regional executive committee announced that it supports former health minister Zweli Mkhize to replace him in December.
The party’s provincial executive committee (PEC) has also thrown its weight behind Mkhize.
In July, Ramaphosa attended the provincial elective conference at the 11th hour after he was forced by his inner circle to come and face the hostile crowd. He had initially indicated that he would not pitch.
KZN is also the traditional support base of former president Jacob Zuma.
Both Mkhize and Zuma have sentimental ties with the Zulu monarch and always frequent various ceremonies in the Zulu royal house. They too are expected to grace King MisuZulu’s coronation.
A high-ranking official in Ramaphosa’s security detail said they are aware that plans were afoot to use the coronation to score political points.
“We have been on the ground for a while now. Even this week we are there. For some months now there have been concerns about the president’s safety. We are even more careful towards the ANC conference,” the source said.
“Yes, they might boo him, heckle him. That is fine. Our concern is his safety,” he added.
Sunday World has also established that apart from the thorough vetting of those attending the coronation, strict measures have been implemented against amabutho following the drama at the funeral of the late AmaZulu king Zwelithini kaBhekuZulu.
A scuffle broke out when amabutho (Zulu) regiments tried to block Ramaphosa from leaving, protesting against efforts to scrap the Ingonyama Trust.
Amabutho will be allocated space at the People’s Park.
Lucky Lukhele of the Swaziland Solidarity Network confirmed that pro-democracy organisations against King Mswati’s autocratic regime will make a peaceful protest.
“Let it be clear that we have nothing against the people of KwaZulu-Natal and our protest should not be interpreted as being anti-coronation or against the Zulu nation,” he said.
Another group that has reportedly prompted the tightening of security is the strong radical grouping known as Amadelangokubona. The heavily armed group advocates for hostile takeover methods of big government projects.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe confirmed that security will be tight.
“As per normal protocol in a national event such as the coronation of the king, the [National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure] is responsible for coordinating the safety and security of everyone who will be attending the coronation,” Mathe said.
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