The former assistant and spokesperson of King Misuzulu, who was dumped out of office when the Zulu king fell out with many members of his former inner circle, says he is still loyal to him.
Prince Thulani Zulu says despite the turbulence within the Zulu royal court, there is only one Zulu king, and that is King Misuzulu.
Speaking to IOL about the matter, Zulu dismissed as a fallacy the idea that he was now siding with Prince Buzabazi. This is the other candidate backed by Prince Mbonisi Zulu to take over the throne.
NEWS: The former spokesperson of King Goodwill Zwelithini who is also the former assistant of King Misuzulu, Prince Thulani Zulu, says he still supports the latter. Zulu says the recent "Wena WeNdlovu" salutation in Umhlanga was not aimed at Prince Buzabazi as widely speculated.
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 26, 2023
The other candidate fighting for the throne is Prince Simakade Zulu, the half-brother of King Misuzulu who is also the first-born son of King Goodwill Zwelithini.
Rumours that he dumped King Misuzulu started circulating last week after he was spotted in one room with Prince Mbonisi and Prince Buzabazi.
He explained to IOL that he was invited to a dinner hosted by the company that is marketing and selling the Bayede wine. This was started with the blessing of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekuzulu.
In a trending video, they all shared one room with former Judge Jerome Ngwenya, a confidant of the late King.
After Ngwenya had delivered a speech, Prince Thulani shouted the “Wena Wendlovu” salutation, a revered royal salutation reserved for Zulu Kings.
“Some people mistook that and thought I was saluting Prince Buzabazi as the King; that's not the case; it was meant for uMdlokombane (King Goodwill Zwelithini), the brainchild of the wine that was being celebrated. People must stop peddling lies and claims that I have dumped the King, that will never happen, he is our only King,” Prince Thulani told IOL.
Prince Thulani said King Misuzulu is a King to even those who do not support him. This is even when he surrounds himself with questionable figures.
“Whether you support him or not, he is our King, although he doesn't cease to amaze me when abandoning all experienced people who worked with his father,” Prince Thulani added.
Prince Thulani is one of the key figures in the court case brought by Prince Simakade, who is challenging the reigning King for the Zulu throne in the Pretoria High Court.
His affidavit is crucial because it addresses the claims made by Prince Simakade before the high court relating to the May 2021 meeting that identified and nominated Misuzulu as the person to succeed his father, Goodwill Zwelithini.
He further claims it was flawed as it was attended by people who are not core members of the Zulu royal family and he wants it to be nullified and set aside.
In his detailed affidavit, Prince Thulani who was responsible for sending out invitations explains to the court the role of each and every person who was present.
He is even explaining that some of them never contributed to the meeting but were there as Prince Misuzulu’s support staff.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
IOL Politics