Mangosuthu Buthelezi may soon be ousted as `traditional prime minister’, reports Farouk Chothia
KING Goodwill Zwelethini has told the ANC-aligned senior prince Mcwayizeni Israel Zulu that he sees him as his rightful “senior adviser” — a major step towards stripping Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi of this post.
At a “successful” meeting this week, Zwelethini indicated to Mcwayizeni that he was eager to see him perform his role as senior adviser, according to sources close to the royal family.
The only “small” outstanding obstacles are Mcwayizeni’s political positions. He is an ANC MP and member of the ANC national executive committee, and the king wants him to be non-aligned.
Zwelethini is expected to make a “major announcement” early next week, clarifying all uncertainty around the position of the “senior adviser” and the Shaka Day celebration to be held in Stanger next Saturday, according to the royal sources.
Zwelethini is also expected to appoint a royal council to advise him on issues concerning the Zulu nation. While Mcwayizeni is likely to head the council, Buthelezi may be left out of it completely.
Meanwhile, Buthelezi is still clinging to the post of “traditional prime minister”. Thembinkosi Memela, a spokesman in the kwaZulu/Natal premier’s office, said this week that he expects Buthelezi to be present at the annual reed ceremony in Nongoma today.
Memela said that Buthelezi will “introduce” the monarch to his subjects in his capacity as “traditional prime minister”. Some observers say that if the two attend the function, it could be the last time that Buthelezi performs the functions of a “traditional prime minister”.
Last week, fighting a rearguard battle, Buthelezi also took the unprecedented step of releasing damaging personal details about the royal family. Buthelezi claimed that when the first queen wanted to divorce the king, he had to persuade her to abandon her plans.
“Why had it to be me who went to the home of Mr TD Dlamini, the king’s father-in-law, when the first queen decided to leave the king? The king asked me to go with him and it was I who persuaded her to return and to abandon divorce proceedings that she was instituting at the time,” said Buthelezi.
The Inkatha leader added that he was making the revelation to show that he has loyally served the royal family — and he was “insulted” by claims that he was using it to bolster his political position. But some observers argue that Buthelezi’s disclosure may be a warning to the royal family that he has damaging personal details which he could use to discredit them in the eyes of their conservative subjects.
Mcwayizeni’s claim to the post arises from the fact that he is the most senior member of the royal family after Zwelethini.
Mcwayizeni — who was the regent before Zwelethini was crowned as the Zulu king in 1971 — has been locked in a 26-year feud with Buthelezi.
The prince did not attend Buthelezi’s installation as chairman of the Mashonangashone regional authority in 1969 and after Zwelethini’s coronation announced that Buthelezi will be excluded from the royal council.
But as Buthelezi entrenched himself in the kwaZulu homeland, he managed to control the king through cutting his salary and placing him under the control of the kwaZulu cabinet. Mcwayizeni was sidelined and there had been several reported attempts to assassinate him in recent years.
On Mcwayizeni’s political positions, a source said: “There are discussions around this. It is something that will be resolved.”
Zwelethini strongly believes that Mcwayizeni should step down from his political posts as the royal family needs to be “non-partisan” to ensure the loyalty of both Inkatha Freedom Party and ANC subjects.
Sources added that as their Tuesday meeting was “extremely successful”, Zwelethini asked the prince to remain in Nongoma, sight of the royal palace, for further talks.