Explained | Zulu king's coronation deemed unlawful by South African court

A little more than a year after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa crowned Misuzulu ka Zwelithini as the new Zulu king, a court on Tuesday (Dec 12) ruled that the crowing was "unlawful and invalid".

The Pretoria High Court, issuing a stern statement, ordered Ramaphosa's government to set up an inquiry to investigate whether the accession of King Misuzulu Zulu took place in line with customary laws.

The court cleared that it was not determining who was the rightful king but whether the president had followed the proper procedures before recognising Misuzulu as the monarch.

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According to a spokesman of Ramaphosa's legal team, they are still studying the ruling by the court. It remains unclear if he plans to accept the ruling or to challenge it in a higher court.

"Only once they've completed their thorough study of the judgement will a determination on the way forward be made," the spokesman said.

What is happening in the royal family?

King Goodwill Zwelithini died in March 2021 following a reign of more than 50 years. He had six wives and at least 28 children. Misuzulu is the first son of his third wife Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, whom he had designated as regent in his will. The queen was from the Swati royal family.Her dowry was paid for by the Zulu nation which, according to experts, gives her children precedence for the throne.

However, the queen died suddenly a month after her husband, leaving a will naming Misuzulu as the monarch for the Zulu people living in South Africa. After the queen's death, different factions emerged within the royal family and challenged Misuzulu's claim to the throne.

Zwelithini’s daughters from his first wife claimed signatures on the will were forged. Their mother, at the time sought a judicial ruling that her marriage in 1969 under civil law to the late king should take precedence over any traditional unions.

As a result, 49-year-old Misuzulu had to wait over 15 months until August 2022 when he was eventually crowned in an elaborate ceremony. Following the traditional ceremony, Ramaphosa conducted a state ceremony two months later where Misuzulu was given a certificate of recognition in front of thousands.

Under South African law, a new king is given official recognition by the president which paves the way for him to be treated like a constitutional monarch.

Ramaphosa's endorsement did not go down well with Misuzulu's older brother, Prince Simakade who went to the court and argued that the president's official recognition of his younger half-brother as the monarch was rushed and failed to follow proper traditional and legal procedures.

Under Zulu custom, the eldest son does not automatically become king, and there have been vicious power struggles for the throne in the past as well.

Even before the fight for the throne reached its crescendo, Simakade said his candidature for the throne was constantly being undermined by Misuzulu's men.

In 2021, Simakade said a statement attributed to him, purportedly saying he would not challenge his brother, King Misuzulu, was “misunderstood or deliberately distorted”.

“Notwithstanding my clear and unambiguous position, stated in my statement, circumstances have compelled me to repeat what I previously said, namely that if the Zulu royal family - which as you may know has the exclusive jurisdiction and right to appoint the heir to the throne - were to nominate and appoint me, I would not dishonour its wishes," said Prince Simakade.

“I further stated that, if someone other than me were to be duly nominated and appointed I will accept that decision, and pledge my full and unreserved support for him,” he said.

Who is with whom?

The fight for the throne has become a political battle as well. South Africa's third biggest political party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has put its weight behind Misuzulu.

"King, my undisputed King. Bayede [Hail the King]," said Julius Malema, the leader of EFF.

Meanwhile, Prince Simakade's supporters are confident that the court ruling is the first step in helping him eventually become the king of Zulu.

Watch | South African court rules government’s recognition of Zulu king unlawful

Who are Zulus?

The Zulu nation is the largest ethnic group in South Africa with an estimated 12 million Zulu-speaking people, predominantly in the KwaZulu-Natal region.

Zulu kings are the descendants of King Shaka, a figure respected even in modern Africa, for uniting a sizable portion of the country as the Zulu nation and leading it in the brutal fight against the British colonisers.

The royal family has no formal government powers but upholds Zulu tradition and controls millions of hectares of land through a trust. Monarchs also receive public funds and have significant political influence.

(With inputs from agencies)