South Africa Zulu king dies at 72
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After 53 years of reign, 28 children of six different women and historical desires for independence silenced at the stroke of a checkbook,
the death of the historic Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini, has opened a historic war for the succession
to the throne with complaints in the courts, three pretenders to the throne, a movie escape, two parallel coronations and the threat of an outbreak of violence.
A series of unique events considering that
this plot of intrigues to seize the crown takes place in South Africa, a parliamentary republic
with a presidential regime in which the head of state is democratically elected by universal suffrage.
However, the multiethnic and tribal nature of its population means that
its laws also recognize the existence of a dozen kings
.
Among them, the most important are the Zulus who function as a
parliamentary monarchy totally subservient to the republic
.
After his death in 2021,
King Goodwill (73) left a will (judicially disputed)
in which he appointed the Great Queen Mantfombi (daughter of the monarch of Swaziland), as regent and in charge of designating his heir.
The Great Queen died shortly after but left Misuzulu (47) as successor,
the eldest of the 8 children in common that she had with the deceased monarch,
and the third male in order of age of all the male offspring that the deceased king had with his 8 wives.
According to the traditional functioning of this tribe, on which historians and dynastic experts debated at length,
the descendants of a king and a Great Queen
(a wife from another royal family)
have priority over the rest of the heirs
, so the crown should have automatically passed to Misuzulu.
A historical dynamic that
in the past has caused the insurrection to be the only resource
of the rest of the pretenders to the throne.
A violence suffered
by the late King GoodWill, who had to wait three years in exile on the island of Saint Helena
(the same one where Napoleon was confined) before being crowned.
This is a fear shared by
Misuzulu
.
During a televised ceremony at the Royal Palace in which it was announced that he was chosen to reign, he was
rushed away by armed agents from his security team
amid protests from some of his relatives.
However, the current status of constitutional monarchy of the Zulu crown, added to the complex rule of law in South Africa -
where only a civil marriage is recognized but polygamy with tribal marriages is
allowed - have allowed the rest of the
suitors to go to court
to resolve the situation.
This was done by
the princesses Ntandoyenkosi and Ntombizosuthu, daughters of the late monarch's first wife
, Queen Dlamini, whom he married by a civil rite and under community property.
Both heiresses
maintain that the signature in her father's will
of her (in which she appoints the Great Queen regent and administrator)
is falsified
, which would annul the succession document and the powers given to the Great Queen would correspond to the mother. her.
A litigation exploited by another son of Queen Dlamini,
Prince Simakade, to run as a candidate for the throne
.
Movement that was quickly
replicated by Prince Buzabazi
(a distant relative) who ensures that none of the suitors would be legitimate heirs.
After more than a year of uncertainty, the new king, Misuzulu, was able to celebrate his coronation attended by thousands of warriors in tribal garb made up of spears, shields and big cat skins.AP
Almost a year after the legal fight for the succession began,
the South African courts have designated Miszulu as the legitimate heir
and the date of his coronation was set for August 20 with the ratification of Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa.
A firm decision before which the (unofficial)
suitor Simakade decided to opt for the fait accompli policy
.
A few days before the official coronation was to take place, he snuck into the Zulu royal palace complex and
held his own
Kraal
, the enthronement ceremony
in which the new king and his cohort of warriors dress in tribal garb made up of sheepskin suits. big cats, spears, shields and headdresses with colorful plumage.
A coronation that was attended by barely a dozen people (no relevant member of the royal family) and that contrasts with the massive influx that days later the
Kraal of the already king Misuzulu had, which was attended by thousands of warriors
, a large part of the royal family, onlookers and television cameras who came to witness how the Zulu people once again had a recognized monarch after more than a year and a half of uncertainty.
On paper,
the different kings of South Africa lack legislative, executive or judicial capacity
and only participate in tribal councils that have a consultative character for the government.
However, the reality seems more complicated.
In the case of the Zulu, the majority ethnic group in the country to which 23% of the population belongs,
their political weight is undeniable
in the face of any kind of electoral process.
A very important power for which, according to ICEX, "it is one of the few countries in the world where there are
more adults without work than adults working
".
In addition, its monarch is the head of the Ingonyama Trust,
a company that owns an area of land similar to the autonomous community of Galicia
and its
Royal House receives a large annual allocation
that has reached 7 million euros, almost as much as the Spanish royal family.
Public contributions that, in addition to electoral interests,
are largely explained by the threat posed by Zulu nationalism
, which became a kingdom during the 19th century, whose shadow weighs on the delicate balance of power in South Africa.
Overwhelming reasons that cause the last page of the complicated succession has not yet been written.
Neither
the self-crowned Simakade
, nor the princesses intend to cease their civil efforts to recover what they believe to be rightfully theirs.
The wounds from the war of the Zulu succession have not yet healed.
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