Durban - After burying Queen Regent Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu in the thick of dawn at the Khangelamankengane Palace, a state-sponsored memorial will be held in remembrance of the Zulu monarch.
The 65 year-old was buried according to the Swati royal culture of wrapping royals in a cow's hide.
Her private burial was conducted around 2am by a special team of traditional culture experts from eSwatini and the Zulu monarch.
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The burial was attended by family members from both monarchies.
Among those from the Swati monarch was the queen's brother, Prince Guduza Dlamini who was assigned by King Mswati to lead the high-powered delegation.
Before the burial, the queen's body was brought home from Johannesburg on Wednesday evening and it was welcomed to the palace by Zulu regiments. As per culture, she was rested for a day on Thursday before making her final journey.
This was while mourners from all walks of life continued to flock to the palace in Nongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal, to mourn her passing.
With the burial now done and dusted, the attention back on the royal court tensions.
There are fears that the royal court would be served with court papers from King Goodwill Zwelithini's first wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini (not related to the late queen) who wants to halt the process of distributing the late King's estate and the appointment of a regent.
Dlamini is arguing that as the first wife who married the King in 1969 through civil rites and in community of property, she must get 50% of the late king's estate.
Supporting her in the legal battle are her two daughters (Princess Ntando and Princess Ntombizosuthu) who, separately, want the king's will to be set aside as they claimed it has been altered and some of the signatures are dubious.
The legal battle is one of the few headaches in the royal house as senior Princess Thembi and Prince Mbonisi are at loggerheads with Zulu nation’s traditional prime minister Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, arguing that he is imposing himself in the royal affairs and have sidelined them.
Political Bureau