Contents of king’s will to be revealed tomorrow
THE LAST will and testament of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini is set to be read out, in private, after his memorial service tomorrow in Nongoma.
This was announced by Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the king’s traditional prime minister during a press conference outsideKwaK he thom than day opal ace yesterday.
However, Buthelezi said he couldn't tell whether it would make mention of the late king's successor or who would act in the throne until a successor was identified.
“It would be grossly irresponsible for me to give a preview of what will happen, especially about a sensitive matter like that. I don’t know what is in the will so I cannot speculate. The people who have the will said they wanted space so I am as ignorant as you are,” Buthelezi said.
The memorial service was initially planned as an official funeral for the king, but because he would be buried in a private funeral by a selective few men, it was shelved and turned into speeches to remember the king.
It would be held at the same palace where the mourning is taking place and it would be addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in the presence of his Cabinet and senior government officials.
Yesterday Buthelezi said he did not want to escalate perceptions that there was a conflict within the royal family.
As the royal family continues to mourn the passing away of the 72-year-old king on Friday, politicians continued to flock to the palace to mourn. Traditional councils and other mourners, in line with culture, presented cows before going inside the palace to mourn.
On the political front, the palace received, among others, Deputy President David Mabuza, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, EFF leader Julius Malema and Land Affairs Minister, Thoko Didiza.
Before entering the palace, Mabuza briefly said the late king was a straight talker.
“He was a very joyous someone, always happy, a straight forward someone, if he doesn't like something he would tell, a good leader,” Mabuza said.
After going inside the palace to mourn, Malema went outside and addressed princes and Izinduna where he said the Zulu monarch’s unity had made it a formidable force and should there be divisions after the king’s death, that would be the beginning of the end.
“The Zulu nation is celebrated as a united monarchy and we want to see that unity continue beyond this.
The death of our father should not be a source of our divisions, the death of our father should not serve as a seed that divides a united Zulu nation. Many kings died but we don’t see the type of unity we see or we saw since the passing of our king …
“Many kingdoms were undermined through infiltrations and divisions in those monarchies, today those monarchies have been reduced to nothing. We don’t want to see this monarch being one of those failed African monarchies,” Malema said.