{"id":26783,"date":"2023-12-13T04:54:07","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T09:54:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=26783"},"modified":"2023-12-13T04:54:07","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T09:54:07","slug":"zulu-kings-official-crowning-by-president-rampahosa-invalid-court-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2023\/12\/13\/zulu-kings-official-crowning-by-president-rampahosa-invalid-court-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Zulu king’s official crowning by President Rampahosa invalid, court rules"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A South African court has ruled that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s official crowning of the new Zulu king last year was “unlawful and invalid”.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The court has ordered him to set up an inquiry into whether King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini’s accession to the throne took place in line with customary laws.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It follows a legal challenge by the king’s half-brother, Prince Simakade Zulu, who says he is the rightful heir.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Their father’s death in 2021 sparked a bitter family feud over the succession.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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On the throne for more than 50 years, the late King Goodwill Zwelithini was the longest-reigning Zulu monarch and had six wives and at least 28 children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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King Misuzulu appeared to have won the succession battle – especially after his traditional coronation in August 2022 was followed by a state ceremony two months later when\u00a0Mr Ramaphosa gave him a certificate of recognition in front of tens of thousands of people<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Under South African law, the president gives official recognition to the new king, paving the way for him to be treated like a constitutional monarch and to be funded by the government.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The king also controls vast tracts of land under South African law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Prince Simakade had argued that Mr Ramaphosa’s recognition of his younger half-brother as the monarch was rushed and failed to follow proper traditional and legal procedures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Ramaphosa has not yet indicated whether he plans to accept the ruling or to challenge it in a higher court.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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His spokesman said his legal team was still studying the ruling handed down by the Pretoria high court on Monday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The court stressed that it was not determining who was the rightful king, but whether the president had followed proper procedures before recognising King Misuzulu as the monarch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It said Mr Ramaphosa had failed to comply with the law, which required him to order an investigation into objections to the accession.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The office of the 49-year-old Zulu monarch has not yet commented on the ruling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It has split public opinion in South Africa, and is likely to plunge the Zulu royal family into deeper turmoil.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Some fear that that it could inflame tensions in a monarchy that has been hit by claims of poisoning and killings since the death of the previous king.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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King Misuzulu’s supporters maintain that he is still the rightful king, including the leader of South Africa’s third biggest political party, Julius Malema.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“King, my undisputed King. Bayede [Hail the King],” the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader said after the ruling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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However, some supporters of Prince Simakade are confident that he will eventually become king, seeing the ruling as the first step in helping him claim the throne.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Under Zulu custom, the eldest son does not automatically become king, and there have been vicious power struggles for the throne in the past as well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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South Africa has eight traditional monarchs officially recognised by the government, all funded by taxpayers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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More on the Zulu monarchy:<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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