King to speak at Misuzulu’s big day

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M– From a humble upbringing of eating blackberries, wild plums and locusts, Prince Misuzulu is now majestically geared to receive certification of kingship.

He will officially settle on the throne of the Zulu nation in an auspicious event at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in KwaZulu-Natal today.

This is where he will receive the official certificate of recognition from President of South Africa (SA) Cyril Ramaphosa in an event to be graced by hundreds of thousands today in KwaZulu-Natal. The SA Government said a capacity crowd of about 48 000 was expected to converge for the event this morning.

Though all eyes will be on Misuzulu, the SA media was abuzz this week with news that His Majesty King Mswati III would make an address at the event.

In one of the final interviews with Newzroom Afrika, before the event, King Misuzulu spoke fondly of his late mother Princess Mantfombi and how his parents loved each other.

“I grew up under guidance of two kings, as you all know my mother was born of Isilo, Ingonyama (King Sobhuza II), together with my sister Ntandoyesizwe who is now married,” he said.

During his upbringing, King Misuzulu said he did not have the slightest idea that he would eventually become King as his father had many sons. “We as the sons of the King love one another and are united.”

He said he was a member of the Dakwakusutha Regiment of the Zulu clan which was formed by the late King Goodwill Zwelithini.

Strict

“I grew up under strict instruction and spent a long time living in the mountains, looking after my father’s cattle, feeding on wild berries, amaviyo, amakolotjane, amathunduluka and other wild fruits,” he said.

The new King also spoke about introducing a custom that would help train young men to be emotionally strong on a similar wavelength with Umhlanga Reed Dance ceremony which trains young women.

He did not mention what such a culture would entail, but in Eswatini young men are trained by participating in the cutting of the sacred lusekwane shrub and delivering it to the royal residence. “There is a missing link in the puzzle in that we have nothing that trains young men,” he said.

He also spoke fondly of his wife Ntokozo KaMayisela whom he called indlovukazi. “I’m happy the queen who gave birth to me also gave her (KaMayisela) a blessing. She is mother of the nation. She is my mother and I am her father. I respect her a lot,” he said.

Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the traditional Prime Minister of the Zulu Kingdom was also interviewed, where he set the record straight about the appointment of the King as well as his role in the monarchy.

He said statements from other royal family members insinuating that he had singlehandedly appointed Misuzulu as the heir to the throne were untrue.

“I’m deeply hurt because I don’t deserve this at all. I have explained fully even how I became King of the Buthelezi clan according to the indigenous customary

King Misuzulu, who is set to be officially settled on the Zulu thrrone today.

laws. The fact that lobola to King Sobhuza II (for Mantfombi) was paid for by the nation automatically means that the heir will come from that house. It’s nonsensical to say that I am the one who appointed him,” he said.

He said the noise around the coronation of King Misuzulu was not unprecedented.

“You know that King Shaka was assassinated by his brothers, and then King Mpande my great, great grandfather on my mother’s side had to fight a battle with King Dingane at Ndondakusuka where people died.”

He said his conscious was clear on how he managed the affairs of the Zulu Kingdom. “A person can be judged as a good leader is judged on the ability to make difficult decisions, as long as they are right,” he said.

King Misuzulu KaZwelithini will be recognized as the ninth AmaZulu King at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium today.

This is despite that there was a new court action launched by the eldest son of late King Goodwill Zwelithini, Prince Simakade, who claims he has always been regarded by the royal family as the rightful heir to the throne.

LoggerheadS

The royal family has been at loggerheads since the death of King Zwelithini and Queen Mantfombi Dlamini in 2021.

Ramaphosa officially recognised Misuzulu in March 2022 as the one who qualifies under customary law to assume the position of king. The decision was also accepted by then KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala.

Traditional Affairs Deputy Minister Obed Mapela said King Mswati III was on the programme and that all systems were in place to ensure the ceremony would proceed smoothly.

At least five kings, a prince and a former president are expected at the official recognition ceremony themed Liphumile Ilanga KwaZulu-Natal (the sun has risen on the Zulu nation).

These were identified as King Mswati III and four ministers from Eswatini; King Gungunyane from the province of Gaza, Mozambique; kings from Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe; a prince and his spouse from Lesotho representing King Letsie III and former President of Botswana Ian Khama.

King Zwelithini and Regent Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu died in close succession in 2021 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

M– Drinking water from the same dams with animals will come to an end for over 100 000 people as the Department of Water Affairs fast tracks water schemes in rural areas around the country.

At the centre of the programme is a Rural Water Solar Powered System which is aimed at relieving communities of the burden of exorbitant electricity bills to run water schemes.

Communications Officer in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy Sikelela Khoza, said this week that his ministry through the Department of Water Affairs had resolved to work out a strategy to assist communities who consume ground water.

“Most of the time, ground water is pumped out of the well using electric powered pumps, into elevated storage reservoirs upon which the water flows by gravity to communal stand pipes or at times yard connections. In most cases, the energy costs are the major obstacles for the running of rural water schemes,” he said.

Khoza said due to the escalation of electricity, most schemes tended to stop operating, which is why the ministry, through the Select Committee on Rural Electrification (SCORE), had seen the need to introduce solar powered systems on non-gravitational sources.

This will also ensure that the

Ground water boreholes will be used to avail clean water to communities. This one was donated by Eswatini Railways to Emvabuhlungu and Madvuma communities under the WASH programme.

country is on course to attain the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 6, which is ‘Water and sanitation for all by 2030’.

SourceS

“There are two sources of potable water; surface water and ground water. Surface water includes water abstracted from streams, springs, dams and rivers. Meanwhile, groundwater is sourced from underground aquifers.

“The major supply of potable water in Eswatini, more especially in the rural areas, is mainly from groundwater and most of the time, ground water is pumped out of the well using electric powered pumps into elevated storage reservoirs upon which the water flows by gravity to communal stand pipes or at times yard connections,” he said.

Khoza explained that in most cases, the energy costs are the major obstacles for the running