Prince Simakade Zulu, son of late AmaZulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, has filed a court application to have the appointment of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini as the new monarch reviewed and set aside.
In court papers, Prince Simakade says he himself was correctly identified as successor in a series of meetings by members of the royal family.
The application has been lodged with the Pretoria High Court 5 months after Prince Simakade’s legal team wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa, asking for the documents he relied upon in officially recognising King Misuzulu as successor to the throne.
Prince Simakade Zulu asks the Pretoria High Court in his application to set aside a decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to recognise King Misuzulu kaZwelithini as successor to the AmaZulu throne in March.
In the court paper, the prince says a meeting convened by the AmaZulu traditional Prime Minister, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi in May to identify a successor was irregular and must be set aside.
In turn, Prince Simakade says members of the royal family met twice in May and again in September and correctly identified himself as his successor. He asks the president to recognise him as the new monarch.
Prince Simakade has asked the court to direct the president to make available all documentation on which his recognition of King Misuzulu was based. This after a committee of high-profile people were sent to mediate in the dispute among members of the royal family about who the successor should be.
Alternatively, Prince Simakade proposes that the court appoint a committee to investigate the claims by both sides in terms of AmaZulu customary law and customs. He asks that members of the royal family who support him as successor be afforded an opportunity to reply to the findings of the mediation committee who reported to Ramaphosa.
In the meantime, Prince Simakade asks the High Court to order Buthelezi not to convene any other meetings of the royal family to identify a successor.
The court application was lodged after both Prince Simakade and King Misuzulu in the past month performed the culturally important entering the kraal ceremony which entails the recognition of a new monarch by his subjects.
The court must still set a date to hear the application. However, Prince Simakade asks the court that his application must be made a final order if the respondents don’t oppose it by the 15th of December.
Video – King MisuZulu kaZwelithini addresses his subjects post-Ukungena Esibayeni ceremony:
