Zulu monarchy tension flares up again as Buthelezi hits back at Princess Thembi

NONGOMA - The raging tensions over the troubled Zulu monarchy have flared up again after Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi accused Princess Thembi Zulu-Ndlovu of telling lies by claiming he is imposing himself on royal affairs.

Buthelezi was responding to claims the princess made on Monday when she told an impromptu press conference addressed by “royal rebels” outside Khangela palace in Nongoma on Monday that Buthelezi was imposing himself in royal affairs.

Princess Thembi also said his time as the king’s and Zulu traditional prime minister expired when King Cyprian Bhekuzulu passed away in September 1968.

She further claimed that the recently departed King Goodwill Zwelithini had one and the next king should make his own appointment.

While hitting back, Buthelezi also dragged the ANC into the royal fight, claiming the “royal rebels” were using its discredited propaganda of the apartheid era to fight him.

“What Princess Thembi is doing is shameful because we were with her during the Nhlapho commission chaired by Professor Nhlapho who was looking at issues of traditional leadership in South Africa.

“Talking to a royal delegation sent by the king (Goodwill Zwelithini) which she was part of and asked whether the position of (traditional prime minister) still existed or not.

“When Professor Nhlapho asked that question, the royal delegation looked at each other in the eyes and said Princess Thembi must answer the question as a senior princess.

“Princess Thembi said during the reign of her father King Dinuzulu she knew that the prime minister was the Prince of KwaPhingangene, referring to me and proceeded to say even under the current king, her understanding is that I am still the one, Princess Thembi said that herself,” Buthelezi told the media at the gates of Khangela palace in Nongoma on Wednesday where the mourning for the late Queen Regent, Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu is taking place.

He claimed Princess Thembi and others were relying on lies and propaganda, which was contained in the book by ANC-SACP stalwart Mzala Nxumalo. The book is titled “Gatsha: Chief with a double agenda”.

“I know that people like Princess Thembi and others who are coming up with were trained by the ANC’s external mission using the writings one of their stalwart called Nobleman Nxumalo who also called himself Mzala who wrote the book titled Gatsha: A chief with double agenda. That is the bible of propaganda for all these lies while trying to finish me and the princess is making herself their parrot by making these claims despite her previous testimony. Many times I asked the king (Goodwill Zwelithini) to install his prime minister and he did not… I was installed by her father in 1954,” he said.

The spokesperson of the ANC in KZN, Nhlakanipho Ntombea, rebutted Buthelezi’s claims, saying they have been clear that the royal house must resolve their squabbles in the most amicable way, without going to court and naming and shaming one another.

The flaring up of tensions comes amid efforts on Tuesday to bring the two warring factions to the table and broker reconciliation.

At the same briefing, Buthelezi contradicted the Princess Thembi led “royal clique” by saying the issue of succession was easy to deal with as the will of the recently departed king was clear on that.

He said that the next king would come from the house of the late queen as King Goodwill Zwelithini’s will anointed her as queen regent.

Buthelezi’s utterances come as royal sources continue to tell Independent Media that come hell or high water, Prince Misizulu, the oldest son of King Goodwill Zwelithini and the late Queen Mantfombi, would on Friday, after the memorial service, be announced as the next king of the Zulu nation.

– Political Bureau