The Zulu royal family faction that recognises Prince Simakade Zulu as the legitimate king has distanced itself from another faction that controversially released a family tree on Friday, listing Amazulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini as a prince and not as king.
Prince Thokozani Zulu, who is regarded as the right hand man of Prince Simakade, said they did not know about Friday’s meeting and were not part of releasing of the family tree.
“No, it was not our faction so we have nothing to do with Friday’s meeting in Durban. Although we still regard king Misuzulu as a prince until the case is finalised, we were not part of the meeting,” said the Prince.
On the call that a person to be appointed as a king should be determined by the late king Zwelithini’s immediate family, Prince Thokozani said the faction is contradicting itself because all the royal family meetings that discussed the matters of the throne after the passing of king Zwelithini, had been attended by all houses and no one had challenged this.
King Goodwill Zwelithini passed away in 2021, leading to a bitter dispute on who should succeed him as king.
On Friday, a group of royals led by the late king Zwelithini’s siblings, princes Mbonisi, Vulindlela and Mathubesizwe announced a family tree which they said was the only way to determine the next king of the Zulu people.
Prince Mbonisi leads a faction that wants Prince Buzabazi, who is the son of the late king Zwelithini and queen Buhle Mathe, to be the king.
The release of the tree to the public was in anticipation of the outcome of a yet-to-be-heard appeal lodged by King Misuzulu at the Supreme Court of Appeal against the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria ruling against President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recognition and gazetting of his kingship, which is being disputed within the family.
The briefing was held while King Misuzulu was in Nquthu, northern KwaZulu-Natal, launching a R400 million project to upgrade the 31km P372 gravel road to Isandlwana Battlefield heritage site. The repaved road will be renamed after him.
Vulindlela said the tree would make it clear who belongs in the family so that those who claim to be princes and princesses, but who are not, would be identified and isolated.
“This tree has been created to make sure that those who speak for the royal family are in that tree. “If there is anyone who feels that he should have been included in that tree, he or she should come forward,” said Vulindlela.
The family tree, which starts from King Mpande down to King Zwelithini, listed King Misuzulu as one of the princes, instead of a king.
This angered the royal family members aligned to Misuzulu, describing the reference to him as a prince as mischievous and disparaging. The king’s representative, Prince Gumbela Zulu said the Zulu nation should not take the family tree seriously, saying it does not mean much as it was not released by the king.
“The king is the head of the royal family so anything that is purported to have been announced by the royal family without the king’s knowledge or approval, should not be taken seriously.”
