After a year-long family feud, Misuzulu ka Zwelithini will be crowned Zulu king today in a traditional ceremony in South Africa.The 48-year-old is the previous king’s son, but some royals believe he was not the rightful heir and that the late king’s will was forged.
Thousands are expected to attend Saturday’s traditional coronation at KwaKhangelamankengane Palace, where the king-to-be will enter the sacred cattle kraal to invoke his ancestors before being announced as the new Zulu monarch to both the living and the dead.
He is expected to wear the hide of the lion he hunted for the royal event, which will serve as proof that he is indeed the chosen one. In preparation for the festivities, more than ten cows have been slaughtered.
The throne has no formal political power, but with a yearly taxpayer-funded budget of more than $4.9 million (£3.5 million), South Africa’s monarchy remains hugely influential.
The Zulu kingdom has a long and illustrious history. It is famous for defeating British troops during the battle of Isandlwana in 1879.
Its succession battles have always been fierce – and bloody at times. The legendary King Shaka ka Senzangakhona assassinated his brother in order to take the throne in 1816, only to be assassinated himself years later in a plot masterminded by his nephew.
However, the latest saga, which began more than a year ago with the death of King Goodwill Zwelithini ka Bhekuzulu, has been an embarrassing public spectacle.
Various royal family factions are still fighting for their preferred candidates in court.
King Zwelithini had six wives and had ruled for more than a half-century when he died last year.
In his disputed will, he named his third wife, Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, as regent – a sort of caretaker role until a successor is appointed.
Because her father was the late King Sobhuza II and her brother was King Mswati III of Eswatini, Queen Mantfombi held the highest status among the king’s wives.
Her marriage to the Zulus was contingent on her first-born son being first in line for the throne in the event of her husband’s death.
When she died a month after becoming regent, their son Misuzulu ka Zwelithini was seen as the natural successor. He was also named as his mother’s heir in her will.
Furthermore, the fact that Prince Misuzulu was the only person to inherit his grandfather King Cyprian Bhekuzulu ka Solomon’s traditional weapons was interpreted as an endorsement that he would eventually succeed his father.
Two more of the late king’s sons, however, have staked their claim to the throne.
Misuzulu ka Zwelithini, Simakade ka Zwelithini, and Buzabazi ka Zwelithini are the three factions of the royal family, each supporting their preferred prince.
Back in March, South Africa’s president formally recognized Misuzulu ka Zwelithini as the new Zulu king, but Misuzulu’s brother, Mbonisi Zulu, filed a legal challenge, asking the court to halt the coronation.
However, the court denied his request and allowed the coronation proceedings to proceed.
A week before King-to-be Misuzulu’s traditional coronation, his half-brother Prince Simakade was announced as the new monarch by a small group of royal family supporters.
His supporters argue that he is the obvious choice to be the late king’s first-born son, but traditional Prime Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi calls this a “foolish provocation.”
Some believe tribalism is at the root of this conflict. Because King-to-be Misuzulu’s maternal ancestors are from Eswatini, he is not entirely Zulu, which is why some members of the royal family never fully accepted his mother as the Great Wife.
While the battle continues, many believe the throne will be cleansed and the rightful king will be officially installed at a public coronation on September 24 – a public holiday in South Africa – effectively ending the long-running feud.
