King Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s move to call for a reconciliation meeting with all royal family members, including those who challenged the decision to make him king, has been described as historic by Zulu culturist, Professor Jabulani Maphalala.

Last week, the king instructed his spokesperson Prince Thulani Zulu to request all the royals to converge at Mashobeni royal palace in Pongola in the north-east of KwaZulu-Natal with the intention to end hostilities between himself and the ‘rebelling’ houses within the royal family.

The king’s call for unity and peace came after the recent Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling that affirmed him as the legitimate amaZulu monarch after a protracted legal challenge by his half brother Prince Simakade and his uncle Prince Mbonisi.

The SCA overruled the Pretoria High Court’s 2023 judgment that had set aside Misuzulu’s recognition as monarch by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Maphalala commended the king, hailing him for making history by being the first ever amaZulu to call for such a unity meeting since King Shaka founded the Zulu kingdom, more than a century ago.

“This is historic and the king must be commended. In my recollection, no Zulu monarch ever called this kind of meeting before as most of them ruled with unsettled disputes,” said Maphalala.

He said that from Shaka’s tenure right up to the late king Zwelithini’s (Misuzulu’s father) rule, there were always factions in the royal family that did not align themselves with the reigning monarch-however, no peace meeting was ever called.

“King Shaka was murdered by his half brother king Dingane and king Cetshwayo had to kill his brother Prince Mbuyazi to ascend to the throne, so no Zulu king ever ascended to the throne smoothly,” said Maphalala.

In the announcement, the king’s spokesperson said that in the interest of true reconciliation, particularly with those who went to court to challenge the king’s ascension to the throne, no one will be interrogated and questioned about his or her previous stance on the king 

Prince Thulani Zulu said even those who did not agree with the king, may have good ideas which could benefit the kingdom and the Zulu nation, therefore it was ‘important for the king to extend a hand of peace and ask them to come and share those ideas with him in the best interest of the nation’.

Zulu Princes Simakade and Mbonisi, two members of the Zulu royal family, have been involved in legal challenges against the recognition of King Misuzulu. Their argument was that the 14 May, 2021 royal family meeting that affirmed Prince Misuzulu as the heir to throne, was not properly constituted. 

They were also aggrieved that the meeting was called and chaired by the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, whom they did not recognise as a member of the royal family.

However, Prince Simakade is expected to address the media on Friday to announce whether or not he is appealing the SCA ruling, his spokesperson Prince Mazwi Zulu said.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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