There is no end in sight for shenanigans surrounding the AmaZulu kingship after another royal faction broke ranks and said it will announce its own king on Thursday.
According to a statement released by a faction led by Prince Mbonisi Zulu, who is the brother to the late much-revered King Zwelithini kaBhekuZulu, a delegation from the royal house is preparing to announce the “legitimate king”.
“The senior royal brothers of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuZulu have decided along with the royal family to break the silence on the succession of the Zulu monarch. A major announcement in this regard will be made and the heir apparent introduced for the first time to the public,” reads a statement.
The ongoing dramatic episode comes hot on the heels of another faction endorsing Zwelithini’s first-born son Prince Simakade as heir to the contentious throne.
The faction performed a sacred ritual known as ukungena esibayeni (entering the kraal) at the weekend, which is reserved for an individual anointed to ascend the throne. A similar ceremony is expected to be performed by current King MisuZulu kaZwelithini on Saturday.
While Simakade and a handful of royal elders and amabutho (Zulu regiment) held their ceremony at the eNyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma, King MisuZulu kaZwelithini will hold his own at the Kwakhangelamankengane Royal Palace.
The current developments mean that AmaZulu will have three kings all claiming legitimacy to the throne.
In March, President Cyril Ramaphosa, using the provisions in the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act of 2019, recognised MisuZulu as the king of the AmaZulu nation.
But his siblings challenged the decision in court claiming illegitimacy and alleging that MisuZulu is not fit and proper to ascend the throne.
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