Zulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini and the KwaZulu-Natal government are embroiled in a fight over his outstanding legal fees of almost R9m, with his office saying this could compromise his right to legal representation.
The unpaid R8,560,661 legal bill stems from Misuzulu’s court battles over the throne and related cases. The Sunday Times this week saw a letter the king’s lawyers have written to premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, dated January 3, in which they demand payment of the fees outstanding from last year.
“We record that on numerous occasions we submitted various invoices to the office of the premier for payment as per the instructions of both his majesty and the premier, emanating from an executive decision to the effect that payment of legal fees and disbursements on behalf of his majesty, in respect of the above matters, will be made by the premier. Despite the above undertaking for payment, no payment whatsoever has been made to date,” the letter reads.
It says a payment arrangement was agreed upon by the acting premier at the time, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, at a meeting on September 20 2023 in the presence of Misuzulu, sports, arts & culture minister Zizi Kodwa and MEC Siboniso Duma.
The provincial legislature later approved a budget of R20m to fund the king’s legal battles. But it emerged this week that his lawyers remain unpaid despite sending numerous invoices to the premier’s office, which they say have been “ignored”.
The lawyers have threated to “take ... further legal action against the premier” if the debt is not settled within 30 days.
Misuzulu’s office this week said it was astounded that the fees had not been paid.
“As late as Wednesday his majesty met with the premier, who was accompanied by the DG [director-general]Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize [and] MEC for arts and culture Dr Mahlaba. In that meeting the premier gave the king an assurance that all legal fees had been fully paid,” said Zulu traditional prime minister Thulasizwe Buthelezi.
“The lawyers today, March 1, called to say they will act on the letter of demand, but I was in that meeting where the premier said the fees have been paid. It comes as a shock to us that the office of the premier has decided to desert his majesty.”
He claimed this was a political decision, and was not the first time the provincial government had acted in a “suspicious” manner in legal battles over the throne.
“There was an application brought by Prince Mbonisi to the Pietermaritzburg high court. Ordinarily you would expect the premier to oppose that because she was cited as a respondent — she didn’t oppose.
“That’s the first thing which raises eyebrows — people seeking to curtail powers of the king and the department in charge don’t oppose,” he said.
Buthelezi was referring to a case brought by Mbonisi to stop Misuzulu from controlling the lucrative Ingonyama Trust, to block Buthelezi from replacing late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi as traditional prime minister and to prevent the king from convening meetings with Amakhosi until the finalisation of the court case brought by Prince Simakade over the Zulu throne.
Buthelezi said that in his capacity as traditional prime minister he would be forced to table the legal fees issue at a meeting between the king and Amakhosi from around the province at Ulundi on Thursday.
The meeting is to “seek the wisdom of Amakhosi for a way forward because the Zulu nation will not allow for the king to not be represented legally.
“It’s up to Amakhosi, who are the pillars of the kingdom, to say how do we rescue his majesty from this conundrum to ensure the king is represented legally. This is the most serious threat to the Zulu kingdom since the king ascended the throne and it’s clear government has taken a position to desert the king.
“I have a duty to the Zulu nation to inform them of this. If the king calls for imbizo that’s what I will do. If it means we will sell our cows we will do so to ensure the king’s legal fees are paid. I will wait for the king’s command on that because what is happening is unprecedented,” Buthelezi said.
“In one vein the KZN government says it wants to build a palace for the king but in the other they are deserting him legally — this is deception and the Zulu nation must be aware.”
The premier’s office had not responded to requests for comment by the time of going to print.
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