The battle over the Zulu succession may have been settled when King Misuzulu KaZwelithini was formally installed late last month, but the bitter and violent behind-the-scenes battles are far from over.

This comes after yet another shooting of a senior Zulu royal family prince and a close confidante of King Misuzulu. Prince Mbongiseni Zulu was shot and killed by unknown men on Thursday, at Nongoma in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

His death came as the Zulu King and other members of the royal family were preparing for Umgidi ceremony which is set to take place at Enyokeni royal palace in Nongoma at the weekend.

The shooting comes just weeks after the September killing of another King Misuzulu confidante, Induna (Headman) Dumisani Khumalo, who was shot and killed near his home as he was returning from the reed dance ceremony he had attended at the Enyokeni Zulu royal palace, where King Misuzulu had accepted reeds from thousands of Zulu maiden in this ceremony that is centuries old.

The coronation ceremony of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini. (Photo: GCIS /Jairus Mmutle)

On Friday, police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker confirmed to Daily Maverick that charges of murder are being investigated by Nongoma SAPS. 

“It is alleged that on 24 November 2022 at 6pm, two people aged 63 and 33 were shot and killed at Nongoma,” said Naicker. 

Police say the motive for the killing is unknown and the killers are still at large.

They did not immediately identify either  of the slain men, but reaction to the murders was fast and swift and the prince was identified as one of those killed. The name of the bodyguard has not yet been released.

There are strong speculations that Prince Mbongiseni Zulu’s murder is linked to his close association with the reigning king.

After the death of the late King Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu in March last year, the Zulu royal family was split down the middle, with some supporters sticking out with King Misuzulu and others raising the names of other contenders to the throne.

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Prince Mbongiseni is one of those who threw their weight behind King Misuzulu and he played a pivotal role in the preparation of symbolic ceremonies, such as when King Misizulu entered the kraal and in Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium when he was formally certified by President Cyril Ramaphosa as the legitimate Zulu king.

Various political parties have expressed shock at the prince’s assassination.

The Inkatha Freedom Party — whose founder and president-emeritus is the Prime Minister of the Zulu nation and who was instrumental in the ascension of King Misuzulu — said it did not want to speculate about the reason for the prince’s killing. It however called on Minister of Police Bheki Cele to appoint a team of top detectives to investigate the murder.

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IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa said: “The IFP wishes to extend its deepest condolences to the Zulu Royal family for the tragic demise of Prince Mbongiseni. We feel what the Zulu Royal Family, and indeed His Majesty King Misuzulu, is going through. It is sad that in the past few weeks that has been people, especially near the Osuthu palace who have been attacked and killed through shooting.

“We urge the Police Minister to do all it takes to stop these kind of killings. This might eventually cause instability in the royal family. The IFP is of the view that there should be calm and stability in the Zulu royal family. 

“We are not saying this killing is related to the disputes that might be existing within the members of the royal family but the way it happened raises a number of questions,” Hlabisa said.

Royal Zulu family member, Prince Mbongiseni Milton Muntukaphiwana Zulu. (Photo: Facebook)

The ruling African National Congress (ANC), according to its KZN provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo, is “extremely concerned about what appears to be a systematic killing of key leaders who have made an indelible contribution towards the ascendency of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini to the Zulu throne”. 

“The monarch is a symbol of unity. Therefore we must disappoint those who want to divide us. By and large, we remain confident that the SAPS Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi will assign experienced law enforcement officers — especially in the area of intelligence gathering.

“We trust that Lt General Mkhwanazi will ensure that those who have inflicted irreparable damage to the nation are brought to book,” Mtolo said.

KwaZulu-Natal has seen an increasing trend in killings of traditional leaders. In August, Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini vowed to tackle the assassination scourge of amakhosi (chiefs) and izinduna being targeted in KwaZulu-Natal, Daily Maverick’s Chris Makhaye reported. 

This came after chief regent Samson Buthelezi was fatally shot at his Nquthu home in northern KwaZulu-Natal, in July this year. In March, 71-year-old chief Mandlakayise Nxumalo of Zwide clan, near Ladysmith, was gunned down outside the traditional court.

According to the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) in August, at least 50 of its traditional leaders have died in the province since 2019, 10 of whom were amakhosi and 40 were izinduna. Contralesa President, Kgoshi Mathupa Mokoena told Daily Maverick on Friday that the organisation had recorded more than 12 killings of traditional leaders this year. 

Contralesa leadership has continually raised concern over the growing trend of amakhosi and izinduna killings in the province. 

Speaking to Daily Maverick, Mokoena said: “As Contralesa we are very worried about the killings that are taking place, in particular, in KwaZulu-Natal.

“The recent killing of Prince Zulu is just deepening the wound… We want to condemn this killing in the strongest terms that it deserves. The police must leave no stone unturned in making sure that the perpetrators are brought to book.” 

Mokoena said the organisation had raised the issue of traditional leadership killings with the government at the provincial and national levels. 

“I personally raised the matter with [President Cyril Ramaphosa], and with Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Police Minister Bheki Cele. They assured me that they’re going to send a team to KZN to investigate. But as a norm, they are just good at talking,” he said. 

According to Mokoena, Contralesa is still waiting for a response from the government to the recommendations the organisation made to remedy the crisis. 

Mokoena argued that if it was a politician who was killed, the relevant government departments would hastily mobilise measures to help remedy the problem. “But because [Prince Zulu] was a traditional leader — to them it’s not an urgent matter,” he said. 

“Our politicians must treat any killing as a killing — if it was a politician they would expedite investigations, but with traditional leaders, they take their time. We are strongly against this.” 

Making a passionate plea to the government to prioritise the killings; Mokoena asked: “How many traditional leaders must die before you act?”

He added that the organisation cannot place its finger directly on the motivation behind the growing spate of killings; “we can only suspect that the disputes that exist in royal families might contribute to these killings.”

Read in Daily Maverick: IFP and ANC exchange warnings: Do not stir up resentment over Zulu monarchy dispute

Daily Maverick reported violence monitors in KwaZulu-Natal believed the killings could be linked to salaries paid by the government to amakhosi and izinduna. DM