Supreme Court of Appeal to hear appeal on Zulu kingship next month

A Zulu royal family side that is challenging king Misuzulu’s ascendency to the throne is beaming with confidence that Prince Simakade will eventually become the Zulu monarch.

In a media briefing on Saturday, the side’s spokesperson prince Thokozani Zulu said their side was very much confident the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein will uphold Pretoria High Court’s judge Norman Davis ruling. The matter will be heard on 28 and 29 next month.

On December 11, 2023 judge Davis set aside the recognition on the basis that president Cyril Ramaphosa was supposed to appoint an investigative committee to look whether the king was appointed in terms of Zulu customs, however, the president appealed the decision. 

Zulu said his side felt it should update the Zulu nation and the public since the court has set the date for the appeal.

“We are confident that the Supreme of Court of Appeal will uphold the Pretoria High Court ruling. We are ready for the case. Our legal team are ready. It has been our position that the meeting that decided the appointment of the prince Misuzulu to be the king was not properly constituted," said Zulu.

Prince Simakade’s side and prince Mbonisi approached the Pretoria High Court challenging the king’s recognition and the matter was heard in October 2023. Both sides wanted the processes to appoint the king to be started afresh.

In his arguments last month, Advocate Marumo Moerane SC, who represented Ramaphosa, said the president issued the kingship certificate based on the judgment of KwaZulu-Natal deputy judge president Isaac Madondo in March 2022.

Madondo had found that Misuzulu was the “undisputed successor to the throne” at the Pietermaritzburg high court after several applications. One was by  prince Mbonisi, who tried to interdict the coronation of Misuzulu, which Madondo denied.

Moerane also argued that Ramaphosa acted on the advice and permission of the Zulu prime minister, the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who was at a family meeting on May 14 2021 where the identity of the new king was decided.

Prince Simakade believes that as the first born son of the late king Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu  he was supposed to have succeeded him despite being born out of wedlock. Those who support him argued that even late king Zwelithini was born out of wedlock but became a king. Prince Mbonisis is said to be vouching for prince Buzabazi, another son of the late king from KwaMadlahlahla royal palace. Those at king Misuzulu’s corner says by virtue of his mother being royal as she is from Eswatini royal family as well as that her lobola was paid by the Zulu nation, he is undisputed king,

willem.phungula@inl.co.za