Sources inside the AmaZulul royal household have confirmed that Queen Mantfombi Dlamini, the daughter of the late King Sobuza and sister of King Mswati of eSwatini will be regent following the death of King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu.
She is the one who will appoint the King among her sons.
The Queen’s first son is Prince Misuzulu Zulu, who is believed to be the one who will ascend the throne.
AmaZulu traditional Prime Minister, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, has issued a statement confirming that senior members of the royal family will meet again on Wednesday at KwaNongoma and further details will be provided on the succession of the Zulu King.
Wednesday’s meeting will follow the one that took place on Saturday.
King Zwelithini’s wives still have a huge role to play
Cultural experts say the wives of the late Amazulu King still have a huge role to play as advisors, and through social programmes to keep the legacy of the King alive.
The monarch is survived by six wives and at least 30 children, of whom 16 are males. The King’s remains were interred on Thursday. He died from COVID-19 complications last week.
Cultural experts say his Queens have the responsibility to teach younger generations what the departed monarch stood for.
Dr Gugu Mazibuko from the University of KwaZulu-Natal says the Queens are the backbone of the Zulu nation.
“The Queens have a huge have role to play. Even when the King is late. They are the backbone and advisers of the nation. Most of the ceremonies that are held rely on the information provided by the Queens. They also have programs that they run which they have to preserve even when the King has passed on for the Nation to grow,” says Mazibuko.
Discussion on Zulu traditions and succession:
Dr Bhedlindaba Mkhize from the Umsamo Institute says the Queens have the responsibility to guide the late King’s successor and to welcome the new Queens to the royal household.
“In an African tradition a new Queen that comes in, a new makoti that comes in gets taught by the elderly Queens that are there omamezala on how to behave in this family and how things were done in this family and how should they be done. So, in other words, it is unlike in other traditions and cultures in the West where actually a Queen comes on or a new lady comes in therefore she does her own thing. No, she comes under the umbrella of the family, she gets taught the procedures and rules and the policies of the family as it used to happen to their mother-in-laws when they arrived in the family. So there will have no difference,” says Mkhize.
