By Sihle Mavuso
Nongoma - While saying the installation of Prince Misuzulu as the next King of the Zulu nation is done and dusted and calm has returned in the royal court following chaos in the past few weeks, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi says those who want to challenge this in court should do so.
He stressed that is he more than ready to face them, should they take that route.
Buthelezi said all cultural aspects of the new king’s ascension have been fulfilled, and all that remains is for the government to do the few remaining formalities.
He said this on Saturday evening while addressing the media at Kwakhangelamankengane palace in Nongoma in northern KZN. This was after a long meeting which included Zulu royals and Swati ones who call the new king their nephew since his (king’s) late mother, Queen Regent Mantfombi Dlamini hailed from the kingdom is sister to King Mswati III.
Under questioning by the media, Buthelezi later admitted on the sidelines that he heard rumours that some in the royal family were planning to mount a legal challenge so that they could give the throne to Prince Simakade Zulu.
But he stressed: “I was not born yesterday” and he will take them head-on when the time for the matter to be heard in court comes.
“They are quite free, if they want to take the matter to court. I mean, I was not born yesterday, in case you are mistaken, because there are few grey hairs on my head. But I assume … that definitely, they may be. In fact, I can say to the media now that I had actually heard rumours that some of them were actually looking for legal advice, already a couple of days ago,” he said.
On legal matters in the royal court, it is still not clear what happened to the legal challenge which was being prepared by the late King's first wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini and her two daughters.
The queen wanted to have 50% of the King's estate, as she claimed they were married in community of property in 1969. Separately, her two daughters, Princess Ntando and Princess Ntombizosuthu, wanted the king's will to be set aside, saying it has two different sets of signatures, rendering it invalid.
Buthelezi also revealed that since the new king had spent quite considerable time in eSwatini, the reigning king is his uncle, he will take some time off from his newly assumed throne to collect his belongings and come back to fulfil his royal duties.
"Since the king has spent most of his time in eSwatini for a long time and only came back because of the bereavement, he will go back to fetch his belongings, and that will not take him more than a week. That’s because he cannot stay in eSwatini after taking over his throne," Buthelezi said.
IOL