THE court case over the Zulu throne started on Monday, 16 October, in the North Gauteng High Court.
Hundreds of amabutho and maidens gathered outside court, singing and chanting their traditional songs as the matter proceeded inside.
The royal family showed their division inside court with King Misuzulu's side seated on the left of the police and his half-brother Prince Simakade on the right.
The Simakade faction’s argument is that on the 14th of May 2021, the day the late King Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu’s will was read, it was not properly constituted since the people who attended were not Zulu royal family members.
Prince Simakade wants to dethrone his half-brother King MisuZulu. He argued that the nomination and selection process of Isilo wasn’t properly followed and that he is the rightful heir to the throne as chosen by the family. He also argued that President Cyril Ramaphosa didn’t have the right to choose who the king of the Zulu royal family and nation should be.
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Prince Mbonisi’s lawyer, Advocate Thabani Masuku SC, said his client argued that President Ramaphosa was biased and acted hastily in the succession process. He said it's only the late King's family that can lead an identification process.
The legal team argued that in the list of royal houses, there was no kwaPhindangene residence which rules out the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. He argued that Buthelezi didn’t have a right to chair royal family meetings.
“We point out that Prince Buthelezi was not the head of the royal family. I have no personal agendas in this matter, I am just representing my client,” he said.
Spokesman of King Misizulu, Africa Zulu said they knew a long time ago who the king would be.
“This is not a wedding where you are going to be waiting for uncles in Johannesburg. The processes were followed by the government,” he said.
He said the royal family already knew who the king was.
“The king was not chosen on the 14th of May. It was just an affirmation of what we already knew. It was just something we knew from childhood. There were days we used to protect king Misizulu from being shot when we were playing with toys, we already knew that this is the king,” he said.
