Misuzulu Sinqobile ka Zwelithini has been crowned king of the Zulu

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After more than A year of internal strife within the royal familyMisuzulu Sinqobile ka Zwelithini has been crowned king of the Zulu, the ethnic group that lives mostly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in eastern South Africa.

On Saturday, August 20, thousands of people gathered for the traditional coronation ceremonies at Kwakhangelamankingan Palace in Nungoma. Misuzulu, who was wearing a lion’s skin – As tradition dictates – It was especially Hunted and killed a few days ago (Amid criticism from animal rights activists), he entered a space considered sacred to invoke his ancestors and was then proclaimed the new king of the Zulu.
Next month he will be a guest of the South African government at an official party.

Misuzulu, 47, is the son of former King Goodwill Zwelithini, who died last year. However, many members of the royal family did not consider it right that he inherited the title of king from his father, in fact: for more than a year, various factions of the family fought for the right to appoint a successor to the throne. Public accusations, insults and even lawsuits.

– Read also: The Zulu royal family of South Africa is fighting for succession

Thirteen members of the royal family had alleged that Zwelithini’s signature on his will – which refers to Misuzulu’s mother and in fact Misuzulu himself as heir to the throne – had been forged, and took the case to court: they lost. His uncle Mbonesi (Zwelithini’s brother) also sued Misuzulu’s coronation, arguing that he was not suitable for the role due to his lifestyle and some of the scandals he was involved in.

Last March, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa He confessed Misuzulu is officially recognized as the Zulu King. At the end of July, a judge dismissed Mbonesi’s case. However, the legal battle continued until the last possible moment: a few hours before the coronation, the sister and brother of Misuzulu submitted an urgent application to the Pietermaritzburg court asking for the celebration to be suspended. The appeal was rejected.

With around 14 million members, Zulus is ethnic group The largest and most influential in South Africa. In practice, their king has no formal political power. However, he is the moral leader of a kingdom roughly the size of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley combined and has a budget equivalent to about 3.9 million euros that the South African government allocates to the royal family each year. Due to his great influence, he is greatly envied by the kings of other ethnic groups in South Africa and is highly respected by the country’s politicians, who always pay a lot of attention to him, especially during elections.