Gauteng govt, KZN leadership to facilitate return of Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu’s remains

The Gauteng government says it will work with the leadership from KwaZulu-Natal to facilitate the return of the remains of AmaZulu Regent Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu to her final resting place in KwaNongoma.

The sixty-five-year-old Queen died last week in a Johannesburg Hospital.

She had been named Regent following the passing on of AmaZulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuZulu, in March.

In a statement, the Gauteng provincial government says Premier David Makhura has appointed MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko and MEC for Health Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi to work alongside law enforcement agencies to return the Regent’s remains to her home safely.

Details around her funeral and who will lead the Zulu nation while the three month mourning period continues, are yet to be announced.

Questions as to who will run the affairs of AmaZulu royal household:

Poison claims

Earlier, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezihas revealed that there were allegations that the Regent, Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, had been poisoned when she fell ill two years ago.

Buthelezi says the Queen spent most of her time in Eswatini after falling ill.

“When she left she was ill and rumours were that she was poisoned. Other things are too…I’m not going to get into them. Any condition of anyone who she was not a public figure I would say it’s quite wrong to ask me because any illness of any person is actually the prerogative of that person.”

“But I have told you that she has been ill all the time because there were rumours when she went to Milpark Hospital and later to Swatini that she was poisoned, and then I’m not prepared to elaborate on that because that is the position,” says Prince Buthelezi.

Legal battle at Zulu royal family

Buthelezi has described the decision by one of the wives of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuZulu’s to approach the court challenging the late King’s will and estate as shameful behaviour.

He says the royal family should be mourning the passing of the King instead of dragging each other to courts over who should succeed the late King.

Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi speaks to SABC: