The battle for the Zulu throne could reach boiling point next weekend at the reed dance ceremony as supporters of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s opponent, Prince Simakade, have vowed that their preferred king is the only one who will preside over the event at the Enyokeni palace in Nongoma.
Preparations by the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government and King Misuzulu’s royal household for the event are at an advanced stage.
Prince Simakade was introduced to the ancestors at Enyokeni palace a week before King Misuzulu’s faction conducted a similar ceremony at KwaKhangelamankengane palace. Now Simakade’s faction may create tension ahead of the event.
The reed dance will be held at Enyokeni palace, the traditional palace of the Zulu royal family, next Saturday — and as it is tradition, each maiden has to carry a reed from the river and present it to the king in a spectacular procession at the palace.
But the succession rivalry in the Zulu royal family has — at least according to opposing factions — produced two kings and the test of who the real king is looks likely to play out during the ceremony.
“We have a king at Enyokeni, he will be welcoming uMkhosi woMhlanga as one of our most treasured events. When woMhlanga is brought to Enyokeni the king, who was crowned at Enyokeni, will be there to welcome the maidens, and that is King Simakade kaZwelithini,” Prince Mandlakapheli Zulu of Engudwini told the Sunday Times.
The prince said whatever rivalry exists within the family should never disturb this “treasured tradition”.
“As the Zulu royal family we could never not allow woMhlanga to continue where it has always been held. Yes, there are issues around succession and some noise but we would like to assure the nation that as a family we will never desert woMhlanga because of those issues. Isilo uSimakade kaZwelithini will be there to receive woMhlanga at Enyokeni, where he was coronated,” he said.
Prince Simakade, the late King Goodwill Zwelithini’s firstborn son, laid claim to the throne and received support from a section of the family — support that led to the sacred ceremony of entering the kraal (traditional coronation) being held for him at Enyokeni .
However, King Misuzulu KaZwelithini’s claim to the throne was bolstered by President Cyril Ramaphosa recognising him as king of the Zulus — including his own sacred ceremony of entering of the kraal held last month.
Spokesperson for King Misuzulu, Prince Thulani Zulu, said preparations were under way for the reed dance ceremony at Enyokeni royal palace.
The king, Misuzulu kaZwelithini, is the one who will receive woMhlanga — I don’t want people to get confused about that because there is only one king
— Prince Thulani Zulu
“I am driving to Enyokeni right now to meet all the stakeholders, officials from the department of arts & culture,” he said. “The king, Misuzulu kaZwelithini, is the one who will receive woMhlanga — I don’t want people to get confused about that because there is only one king.”
Prince Thulani said the rivalry for the Zulu throne should have ended after Ramaphosa identified who the rightful heir was.
“There is no confusion on who the king is. Even you are confusing yourself. You know that the king has been gazetted as king of the Zulu nation. When he entered the kraal at Kwakhangela royal palace on the 20th, everyone was there to support him and show the nation that.
“Let us not confuse people, uMkhosi woMhlanga is at Enyokeni — it is a traditional palace and all events of the nation take place there and there is only one king of the Zulu nation — everyone knows who that king is,” he said.
Senior members of the royal family speaking on condition of anonymity said chances were slim that the event would take place.
“The government is bringing Misuzulu to Enyokeni. The traditional palace is Enyokeni, where Simakade is accepted as a king. They can host [at] Kwakhangela but not [at] Enyokeni,” a source in the camp opposed to King Misuzulu said.
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