Prince Simakade Zulu is the firstborn son of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini. Picture: Sihle Mavuso/IOL Politics
Prince Simakade, the Zulu prince who has launched a last-minute court case to dethrone King Misuzulu from the Zulu throne, says the end for the king to vacate the seat of power is near.
Prince Simakade says he is hopeful that the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, will rule in his favour and strip King Misuzulu of the prestigious throne.
The prince said this in an internal briefing note he sent over the weekend to his backers within the Zulu royal family as he fights for the throne.
NEWS: Prince Simakade has told his backers within the Zulu royal family that victory is certain in his case where he seeks to dethrone King Misuzulu. In a briefing note after the case Prince Simakade said his lawyers told him that they were able to present a solid case in court.
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) October 23, 2023
The note was leaked to IOL, and Prince Thokozani, who speaks for Prince Simakade, confirmed its authenticity, but said it was not meant for the media.
Prince Simakade was briefing his backers following last week’s marathon hearing by the Pretoria court.
He filed the case to have the decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to recognise King Misuzulu nullified.
According to the note, he said he was cheated out of the throne; hence, he had to resort to the court to address that.
He told them that his legal team of Allan Dobson SC (senior counsel) and Johann Hamman did an excellent job of arguing his case.
“I have met with my legal team, who briefed me about the case.
“They told me that we are on a good footing as they were able to present their case in a manner that will convince the judge (Norman Davis) to rule in our favour,” Prince Simakade said in the note.
According to him, the ruling on the matter is expected around early next year.
Despite the certainty that he will eventually triumph against King Misuzulu, Prince Simakade, who is the first born son of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini, warned that he anticipates that this is going to be a long drawn-out legal battle.
“This is just the beginning; according to my analysis, we still have a long way to go. So, I ask all of you to be prepared for a long battle,” he added.
Prince Simakade added that he was happy to see members of the Zulu royal family singing together in court, signalling that they are still one family, despite their differences over the issue of the throne.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
IOL Politics