In a secret ritual on Saturday, the new Zulu king, South Africa's most powerful traditional ruler, will be crowned after a long succession dispute to ascend the throne of the legendary "people of heaven".
Rulers and traditional leaders are recognized under the constitution in the Republic of South Africa - which is located in the south of the continent and recognizes 11 official languages - and although they are kings without executive powers, they exercise deep moral authority and are revered by their people.
According to tradition, Misuzulu Zulu will succeed his father, Godwill Zwelithini, who died last year after a 50-year reign.
The 47-year-old Misuzulu Zulu enters the "cattle barn" at Kwakithumthandayu Palace in the small town of Nungoma in the southeastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, the cradle of the largest ethnic group in South Africa.
Only a few members of the royal family and amabuthu warriors will be allowed to enter this temple building for the Zulu nation, and few people know what will happen there.
The king, blessed by the ancestors during this rite of passage, "will then be presented to the nation, which pledges to respect and accept him as king," said Gogolito Mazebuko, an expert on African cultures at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Palace war
The 11 million Zulu people (i.e. 1 in 5 South Africans) are collectively answering calls to celebrate their culture.
The women, dressed in their traditional clothes, ululate and hit the ground with their feet, while the girls, bare-chested with colorful necklaces on their necks.
Long lines of men dressed in animal skins armed with spears simulate war, a legacy of their wartime past against the colonialist.
The greatness and fame of the Zulu people known beyond African borders is based on the achievement of their King Chaka - the fierce warrior and founder of the army - who in the 19th century defeated the British Empire in a bitter battle.
It was then that barefoot warriors in monkey skirts and bracelets in their hands defeated the British regular army.
Fantasy was added to these facts, and historians called the Zulu fighters "African Spartans".
"This nation cherishes its identity," Mazebuko said.
Recently, the battle raged inside the palace;
Misuzulu Zulu, the favorite son of the late king, faced opposition from his first wife and children.
King Goodwill Zwelithini had at least 6 wives and 28 children.
Last weekend, the splinter group celebrated the coronation of their eldest, in a desperate bid to seize the throne;
The first queen who resorted to the judiciary says that she is the legitimate heir to the throne, but her daughters invalidate the validity of the will.
Its implementation has been suspended, while potential candidates have been excluded.
In the last chapter of this royal epic, the brothers of the late king announced - yesterday, Thursday - at a press conference, the existence of a mysterious third claim to the throne.
royal peace
Besides the crown, the king's fortune is also at the center of a dispute;
The Zulu king is a wealthy owner of land managed by a trust led by him alone.
The area of these lands is about 30 thousand square kilometers, which is equivalent to the size of Belgium.
He also owns about 1,500 properties from which he can earn rent.
King Zwelithini was famous for his lavish lifestyle and receives about 75,000 euros from the state annually for his personal use, and a budget of 4.2 million euros for the operation of the kingdom, according to the publication in the Official Gazette.
This constitutes support for a king who plays the role of a guarantor of social peace.
Sihawekele Ngobani - from the University of KwaZulu-Natal - said that he "watches over the welfare of his subjects, and cares about issues of poverty and community development", and calls - for example - to establish infrastructure.