From left: Prince Mandlakapheli Zulu, Prince Thokozani Zulu and Prince Ndabenhle Zulu addressing the media at Prime hotel in Durban yesterday.Picture: Tumi Pakkies/African News Agency(ANA)
Durban — A Zulu Royal family faction that recognises Prince Simakade as the “rightful heir” to the throne has announced that it was forging ahead with a court battle to set aside King Misuzulu’s recognition.
This was said by Prince Thokazani Zulu during a media briefing held by the faction in Durban on Tuesday.
Prince Thokozani said the trial for Prince Simakade’s court application to set aside the recognition of King Misuzulu has been set down for May 31 to June 2 in the Pretoria High Court.
He added that between these dates the judge would hear another application challenging the coronation, asking for it to be declared unlawful.
He said his faction was emboldened by the fact that President Cyril Ramaphosa had ignored the report which was headed by former KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu which recommended a further investigation.
Prince Thokozani said the report which they obtained through their legal team did not say that King Misuzulu must be the king but recommended that there must be further investigation.
In terms of the law, he said, after the mediation had failed the government had to institute an investigation which the president had ignored.
The Simakade faction’s main argument is that the royal family – on May 14, 2021 when the late king’s will was read – was not properly constituted since the people who attended were not the bona fide Zulu royal family members.
Prince Thokozani said the process at that meeting was completely flawed in that the king’s wives, some of his children and senior royal family members were not there.
Another argument put forward by the faction is that Prince Simakade was traditionally adopted by the late queen Mantfombi as her son.
The queen herself had on several occasions referred to Simakade as her son, so therefore in terms of the culture he was the heir to the throne, the faction argues.
The faction also made shocking claims that the late king Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu was murdered. The faction did not reveal further details but promised to elaborate more when the time was right.
They claimed that the king was silenced after strongly opposing the expropriation of land under the Ingonyama Trust by the government.
The faction did not rule out the possibility of demanding his exhumation but refused to divulge specific details, saying they were still fighting for the kingship to be restored to “the rightful heir, Prince Simakade”.
A source within the royal family, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that it would be difficult to ignore the claim by Simakade’s faction since no one was allowed to see the king, including his wife and children, while at the hospital.
Speaking on behalf of King Misuzulu and the royal family, Prince Thami Zulu said he was shocked to hear the claims that the king had been killed, but said the onus was on the princes who made those claims to provide proof since the entire royal family believed that the king died of Covid-19.
Of the Mchunu report, he said that although he had seen it he thought it meant nothing after the court had ruled that King Misuzulu was the rightful heir.
The Presidency had not responded by the time of publication.
Daily News