Durban – With just 10 days to go before the eagerly awaited handover of the certificate ceremony for the government to officially recognise King Misuzulu kaZwelithini as the Zulu monarch, traditional prime minister to the Zulu monarch and nation Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has raised concern over what he called a breach of protocol by the KwaZulu-Natal premier and executive council during a visit this week.
This follows KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube’s courtesy visit to KwaKhangelamankengane Palace on Tuesday, in which she was accompanied by Members of the Executive Council (MECs) to pay homage to the king.
In a statement, Buthelezi noted that the king had been with two princes when the premier and her MECs arrived at the palace, adding that the move to visit the king to introduce herself and the MECs to the king prior to the handing over ceremony scheduled for next weekend was appropriate.
However, he questioned the wisdom for the premier to ask the two princes to excuse the meeting, leaving the king alone in the presence of the premier and the MECs.
“There was a strange breach of protocol during this meeting which has caused concern within the Zulu royal family. His Majesty was accompanied in the meeting by his personal assistant, His Royal Highness Prince Thulani Zulu and by His Royal Highness Prince Mbongiseni Zulu.
“Quite unexpectedly, the premier instructed that the two princes leave the room, leaving His Majesty without any witnesses or accompaniment in his meeting with the KwaZulu-Natal cabinet,” said Buthelezi.
He said the unusual incident had caused consternation and concern over what the premier and the MECs may have wanted to say to the king without any witnesses.
“It is a flouting of normal protocol and very strange behaviour, to which members of the royal family have taken exception.”
A statement last night from the Premier’s office said: “The premier wishes to state that the introductory meeting of the executive council to His Majesty the King took place in the presence of all the princes, princesses and members of the executive council. Some of the sections were even open to the media. The premier has no immediate recollection of such an incident (in reference to Buthelezi’s statement).”
It added that the premier will always respect the prerogative of the king to bring whoever is deemed necessary to be part of any engagement.
“This is the responsibility that no premier can usurp. The premier respects and holds in high esteem our revered royal family and wishes to assure the royal family that the government will always strive to ensure that interactions will always be accorded the decorum befitting our royal family as it has always been historically the case.”
University of KwaZulu-Natal cultural expert Professor Sihawukele Ngubane confirmed that according to custom, the king always had individuals who surrounded him.
“In this instance, it will be important to establish who and how close to the king are the princes who were asked to leave the room where the king was meeting the premier and her cabinet members,” said the cultural expert. He cited the possibility of a top secret that could only be shared by top government leaders with the king as possibly being one of the reasons for the premier to ask for the private audience.
The cultural expert described the handing over of the certificate to the king ceremony as a historic moment for the province and the Zulu nation.
He said this was more significant when considering the tussle over the succession issue.
“This will be the crowning moment and the climax of the entire process, and its significance in the history of the Zulu nation cannot be underestimated. That is why it is the most eagerly awaited moment,” said the academic.
This week the royal palace has been a hive of activity with different figures paying homage to the king, including the KZN ANC Women’s League and eThekwini Exco members.
The certificate handover ceremony which will be held at Moses Mabhida Stadium, in Durban on October 29 is set to be attended by leading figures, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and King Mswati III of eSwatini.
THE MERCURY
