Zulu monarch tension: ‘Royal Rebels’ tell Buthelezi to ‘pack and go’

THE squabbling within the Zulu monarchy is not abating despite one side claiming it was ready to meet the other side halfway and reconcile.

The latest tensions played out yesterday after “Royal Rebels”, as they are called in the corridors of the royal court, called another impromptu press conference to lash out at Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the Zulu king and Zulu nation's traditional prime minister.

Royal sources said the press conference was a culmination of anger that was bottled up on the part of senior Princess Thembi Ndlovu (née Zulu), Prince Mbonisi and others.

It was alleged that they came to Khangela palace in Nongoma to mourn the death of Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu, while on the sidelines they used the opportunity to seek an audience with Buthelezi, who late on Sunday rebuked them. He told the princess that she has no role in royal affairs as she is married and told the prince that he was born out of wedlock.

However, Buthelezi, who came to the palace with about 12 headmen of his clan, reportedly scuppered their plans by ignoring them and took part in a long royal meeting which included Prince Thulani, the spokesperson of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini.

Frustrated, the princess, the prince and four others called a press conference a few metres outside the palace.

Speaking first, the princess, who has been in the public eye for some weeks now, said it was disturbing that they were being locked out of their own palaces and the person who was doing that was someone they looked up to as a father figure, who was also insulting them.

She added that they didn't like what they were doing, but they were forced by the harsh treatment they were getting from Buthelezi. She told Buthelezi his time as the traditional prime minister to the king had ended and he must pack and go.

“We want to meet with the prince (Buthelezi) and not for him to chuck us out of our own home, because exactly what he is doing is expelling (us) from our own home and occupying it himself.

“His time (as Zulu traditional prime minister) ended long ago. The reason why he is still in that position is because we respect him.

“We are told that he is the (traditional) prime minister of King Bhusha (King Cyprian Bhekuzulu, the father of King Goodwill Zwelithini). The king (Goodwill Zwelithini) never had a prime minister and the next one will appoint his own prime minister,” she said.

The princess repeated her claims that Buthelezi was conducting royal meetings with an iron fist, even chastising senior and female members of the royal family.

“The prince just shrugs off our female elders, capitalising on the fact that they respect him. That is the challenge we have.

“He just tells everyone what to do without consulting anyone from the royal house. The prince does what comes from his head,” she claimed.