The Regent of the Zulu nation, Queen Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, will be laid to rest on Thursday at the KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace in KwaNongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
In a statement, the monarch’s Traditional Prime Minister, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, confirms that the regent’s remains will be transported from Johannesburg, where she passed on, to her Royal Palace of KwaKhangelamankengane on Wednesday.
Buthelezi says in line with her wishes, as was the preparations for the late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, the Regent will be interred at the crack of dawn in a private burial. Her wishes was that she be buried at her palace.
A memorial service will be held on Friday.
Mourners stream into KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace:
Members of the public have been requested to refrain from travelling to the KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace to pay their respects due to COVID 19 regulations.
“Her Majesty’s memorial service will be attended by members of the Royal Families of both the Kingdom of Zululand and the Kingdom of eSwatini. This will further reduce the number of mourners allowed in terms of COVID-19 protocols. Such protocols will be strictly maintained,” says Buthelezi.
The Regent Queen passed on last week at the age of 65.
The Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu nation has told SABC News that the information he has around the circumstances surrounding the Regent’s passing, points to what he calls, toxins in her liver.
“The information I had was that there were toxins in her liver which made it difficult for the surgeons to do a post mortem and therefore they tried a couple of times to do so and they didn’t do so. But there were toxins and poisons. Toxins in the medical term,” he says.
The KwaZulu-Natal government has requested President Cyril Ramaphosa to grant the Regent a provincial funeral.
National government is yet to announce its decision on the request.
Prince Buthelezi speaks on the request and the royal family’s succession battle:
