In spite of internal conflicts that have threatened to split the royal family, the Zulu ethnic group in South Africa is getting ready to conduct the coronation ceremony for its new traditional monarch.
A traditional ceremony called ukungena esibayeni (entering the royal village) will be performed on Saturday by King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini, the late King Goodwill Zwelithini's son, to celebrate his coronation as the next ruler of the Zulu people.
With more than 12 million members, the Zulus make up South Africa's largest ethnic group. Most of them reside in KwaZulu-Natal, a coastal state.
Under King Shaka Zulu, the Zulu people are known to have fiercely resisted British colonialism from 1816 to 1828.
Thousands of Zulu people, including members of the royal family, traditional leaders of other ethnic groups, and citizens of the Zulu nation, are anticipated to attend the ceremony.
It will go forward despite objections from some royal family members who maintain that Misuzulu is not the legitimate heir to the throne.The third of Zwelithini's six wives, Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu, is claimed to have the highest status among them all because she is descended from the royal house of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), the continent's last absolute monarchy. Misuzulu is their eldest child.
After her husband's passing, Queen Dlamini-Zulu assumed the role of Zulu nation's Regent. However, she passed away about a month later, designating her eldest son Misuzulu as the new regent in her will.
Some members of the royal family, however, do not support Misuzulu as the heir apparent and instead recognize Simagade Zulu ka Zwelithini as the legitimate heir.
The opposing family faction staged the ukungena esibayeni ceremony for Simagade last weekend despite the fact that the elders of the rest of the royal family, who support Misuzulu as the legitimate king, did not recognize it.To further muddy the waters, Zwelithini's three brothers announced Buzabazi kaZwelithini as their favored heir to the kingdom during a news conference they conducted in Johannesburg on Thursday.According to reports, the late monarch had 28 children with his six marriages.
Misuzulu will receive a recognition certificate from the South African government at a later time since it recognizes him as the legitimate heir to the kingdom.
As the guardian of the ethnic group's ancient traditions, the Zulu King has significant influence in KwaZulu-Natal province.
Through the Ingonyama Trust, of which he is the sole trustee, the monarch also exercises control over enormous tracts of territory believed to be nearly a third of KwaZulu-Natal or 28,000 square kilometers (10,810 square miles).
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