Ructions over Zulu king’s estate
Queen Regent’s surgery postponed after poison discovered in her liver
THE Zulu Royal household’s R71.3 million budget from the Kwazulu-natal provincial government and other assets are believed to be at the centre of the divisions in the royal family.
The family was dealt another blow this week with the death of Queen Regent Mantfombi Madlamini Zulu, 65.
Queen Mantfombi, a third wife of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini Kabhekuzulu and a sister of King Mswati III, died at Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg on Thursday night.
The Sunday Tribune has learnt that the late king’s first wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini, has approached the courts to gain clarity about the status of her marriage. In another separate application, the Ingonyama Trust has received summons from Princesses Zintombizosuthu and Ntandoyenkosi, who have filed an urgent application to the Pietermaritzburg High Court to dispute the authenticity of their father’s signature in a will that was read after his passing.
The urgent summons also seek to put funeral arrangements on hold.
Yesterday senior family members gathered at Kwakhangelamankengane Palace in preparation for the burial.
The details leading to her death are yet to be disclosed by the family.
However, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, prime minister to the Zulu nation and monarch, said she was due to undergo surgery but doctors advised otherwise after discovering poison in her liver.
On March 25, Queen Mantfombi was announced as a regent of the Zulu monarch when the will of King Zwelithini was read by his lawyers in the presence of over 200 royal family members.
Further details about the king’s estate were not divulged to the public.
It is understood that the Zulu kingdom is among the most powerful in the world with lucrative benefits.
King Zwelithini owned six palaces, located in Nongoma and one in Ulundi which is about 50 km apart in the northern part of KZN.
He was a sole trustee of Ingonyama Trust Board which owns over 2.9 million hectares of land with a multi-million rand turnover.
The king survived by four wives after the passing of Queen Mantfombi and over 28 princes and princesses and it is unclear whether Queen Mantfombi inherited all the state assets as a regent.
Maxwell Shamase, a historian from the University of Zululand, said that she had played a major role in assisting the king to revive traditional celebrations such as Reed Dance and the Amarula festival. These events hosted by the royals also attracted funding from various KZN departments.
“She strengthened the relations between eswatini and Zulu kingdom, you would see maidens coming from eswatini to take part in the Reed Dance. Having been born in the royal family she was considered as a great wife,” said Shamase.
The queen’s death came while the nation was mourning the passing of King Zwelithini who died on March 12 after contracting Covid-19.
However, the mourning period has proven to be a difficult one within the family with divisions looming over who should advise the regent.
Two sources within the royal family told the Sunday Tribune that one of the wives had sent lawyers to the queen regent while she was in the hospital with documents so she can approve the split of the budget from the state.
The source said the other queen wanted the queen regent to agree to take up the throne on condition that the royal household budget and assets will be split in half.
“The situation was not getting better, everyone seems to be concerned about their well beings. They sent lawyers to the hospital for the regent to sign some documents but she refused. The regent had also left her will detailing all that must happen when she is no more, including the successor of the king,” another source added.
Prince Thulani, spokesperson for the royal family, would not deny or confirm the claims. He said he had not met with the family regarding that.
“I have not heard something like that, I will have to meet with the family to find out if something like that happened. Maybe by tomorrow, I will have information,” he said.
Two senior members of the royal family, Prince Mbonisi and Princess Princess Thembi, who are the late king’s siblings, had been accused by Buthelezi for holding “unauthorised” parallel meetings discussing the issue of who should assist the regent.
Buthelezi lambasted their behaviour saying he felt they were mischievous and the inception of division within the family.
In a statement sent to Independent Media after the queen’s passing, Buthelezi confirmed she has been unwell for the past two years.
He said, at some point, the queen was taken back to her country of origin, eswatini when her brother, King Mswati III, asked so she could receive healthcare from that country.
Buthelezi said the royal family was expected to meet to discuss the funeral arrangement of the queen.