South Africa: Huge crowd celebrates coronation of the Zulu King

In a young democracy with 11 official languages, the constitution recognizes sovereignty and traditional leaders. Kings without executive authority, wield great moral authority and are deeply respected by their people.

To succeed his father Goodwill Zwelithini, who died last year after 50 years of rule, 47-year-old Misuzulu Zulu killed a lion just days before the ceremony.

He then spent a night in a “cattle barn” at KwaKhangelamankengane Palace in Nongoma, a small town in KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN, southeast) and the cradle of the Zulu nation.

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A kind of temple “to the people of heaven”, only a few men know the secrets of this can and the rituals that take place there. The Zulu King was due to come out on Saturday, be called Ancestral and be crowned.

Waiting to see him appear, thousands of ‘amaButho’ warriors, dressed in animal skins and imitating war, danced, under the blazing sun, around the small marble palace.

“It’s the big day when our king officially takes the throne,” Themba Fagazy, 59, a regiment of warriors charged with protecting the king, told AFP.

– Poets of the King –

The king’s poets wandered through the crowd telling the legend of the warrior people. The country’s population of 11 million Zulus, one in five South Africans, is a descendant of Shaka, the charismatic leader and military genius who made history by winning a bloody battle against the British Empire.

The women wore their most beautiful traditional clothes decorated with colorful beads. Others dressed themselves in fabrics with a statue of the king on which was written “Byday”, “Greetings to the King” in the Zulu language.

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Hundreds of young girls danced topless. They took turns entering the circle, raising their legs high before the clatter of their soles on the dusty ground.

Dozens of cows were killed to present to guests. Customary delegations of kings from neighboring countries attended gifts.

“The Zulu nation is entering a new chapter today. I pledge to work towards its unification,” Misuzulu Zulu said as he appeared to the crowd.

For more than a year, a dispute over succession poisoned the palace. The late king’s first wife conflicts with her clan over the legitimacy of Misuzulu Zulu, born from the king’s favorite and third wife. A last-minute call on Saturday to try to prevent the coronation failed.

The king, whose name means “strengthening the Zulu people,” already had two wives and four children.

“He ensures stability and order among his people,” said Ntokuzu Malchatheni, 31, who works in a logistics company.

The Zulu king plays the role of a guarantor of social peace in his kingdom, and receives support from the state.

Known for his leadership of a lavish lifestyle, King Zwelithini earned around 75,000 euros a year for his personal use, as well as a budget of 4.2 million euros for the kingdom’s business, according to a government scale.

The Zulu ruler has about 30,000 square kilometers of land – roughly the size of Belgium – managed by a trust for which he is solely responsible and can obtain rents from it.

After the traditional ceremony, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa should formally recognize the new sovereignty in the coming months.