Johannesburg – The year 2022 was the year King Misuzulu kaZwelithini officially claimed the Zulu throne.
Opposition to his claim, particularly from his brothers Prince Smakade and Prince Buzabazi, continued.
King Misuzulu was named as the new king of the Zulu nation in his mother's will after she died suddenly in April 2021.
Queen Mantfombi Dlamini had been named regent in the will of King Goodwill Zwelithini, who died a month earlier.
Disputes followed, including court cases, some of which are yet to be settled, but King Misuzulu is now sitting rather comfortably on the throne.
A court ruling by KZN Deputy Judge President Isaac Madondo in March effectively gave King Misuzulu the all clear to claim the throne.
But as we usher in the festive season, those against King Misuzulu, including his uncle Prince Mbonisi, still insist he is an illegitimate heir.
Regardless of the battles for the throne, most of the Zulu kingdom have accepted King Misuzulu as the rightful heir and his popularity has increased.
During the reed dance this year, the king could barely finish a sentence as Zulu maidens screamed in celebration towards the end of his speech.
Maidens from Mount Moriah near Phoenix are amongst those still streaming into the Moses Mabhida Stadium ahead of the coronation of Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithi today. #ZuluKingCoronation @SundayTribuneSA @IOL pic.twitter.com/7WCMAto0AW
— SAMKELO T.L MTSHALI (@Sam_Blaszczy6) October 29, 2022
Lion King
In August, King Misuzulu entered the kraal, a significant ritual which is carried out before the coronation of the king.
Cultural expert Maxwell Shamase explained: “The symbolism of entering the kraal is that the king will be seeking blessings and protection from previous kings and ancestors while also announcing his arrival to the throne, so it is quite a symbolic moment in the Zulu nation’s history.”
He told “The Mercury” it was a similar ritual to that of a new bride’s traditional introduction to her new family in the kraal.
King Misuzulu, who is of Zulu and Swati royal blood, is said to enjoy protection from both kingdoms.
King Misuzulu also killed a lion ahead of the entering-the-kraal ritual.
IOL journalist Sihle Mavuso reported that the king delivered the lion to the KwaKhangelamankengane palace after his hunt at the Mkuze Falls Game Reserve.
He wore the same lion’s skin when he entered the sacred kraal, which was the last rite before his coronation.
The “Daily News” also reported that before entering the kraal, King Misuzulu had to cleanse himself by slaughtering a bull.
He was accompanied on the lion hunt by a few amabutho (Zulu regiments) and game rangers, but he had to kill the lion himself.
However, he reportedly needed help as the lion charged at them after King Misuzulu shot it.
Coronation/Certificate
On October 29, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Swati King Mswati Dlamini were among thousands who were present at the ceremony in which Misuzulu was officially declared the Zulu king and handed his certificate which recognises him as king.
At the event, King Misuzulu also honoured Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who is the traditional prime minister of the Zulu nation. He was in tears as King Misuzulu wrapped a lion’s skin around his elderly shoulders.
We would not have been able to witness the certificate handover for our Zulu King Misuzulu as we did yesterday if it weren't for Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who is committed to the truth at all costs.
— FanzSA (@FanzNgubane) October 30, 2022
Shenge live on…#SandtonTerrorAttack #Mihlali pic.twitter.com/ItKQlA5bPf
Buthelezi was among those who fiercely protected King Misuzulu as disputes emerged from the Royal House over the throne.
Royal House Deaths
In September 2022, Dr Dumisani Khumalo, who was a close confidant of King Misuzulu, was shot dead at his home in northern KZN.
His killers are still at large.
Khumalo had just returned from the reed dance ceremony at eNyokeni Palace when he was shot by unknown men who then fled.
At the time, the IFP expressed concerned about the brutal killings of izinduna, amakhosi and councillors in the province and called for the killers to be arrested within 72 hours.
And in November, Prince Mbongiseni Milton Zulu, another close associate of the king who was among those who helped him thwart a bid by Prince Simakade to take the Zulu throne after the death of King Zwelithini in March last year, was gunned down in Nongoma.
BREAKING NEWS: A senior member of the Zulu royal family close to King Misuzulu KaZwelithini has been assassinated a short while ago in Nongoma in northern KZN. The member was a key royal figure among those who helped King Misuzulu to fully settle in the contested throne. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) November 24, 2022
He died at the scene while his bodyguard died upon arrival in hospital.
IOL reported that Prince Mbongiseni was a former IFP MP and he died while he was a councillor of the same party in the Zululand District Municipality.
Royal sources described him as a smooth operator who was dedicated to protecting the throne.
They said he was a humble man and he liaised closely with King Mswati III of eSwatini in helping King Misuzulu to adapt to his role of leading the Zulu nation.