Another blow for royal rebels as Pretoria High Court dismisses bid to halt King Misuzulu’s coronation

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini. File Picture: Bongani Mbatha /African News Agency (ANA)

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini. File Picture: Bongani Mbatha /African News Agency (ANA)

Published Jul 26, 2022

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Pretoria – The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday dismissed an urgent application brought by Prince Mbonisi to halt the coronation of Zulu King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini.

Prince Mbonisi, a senior Zulu prince who is a half-brother to the late King Goodwill Zwelithini, the father of King Misuzulu, has always maintained that King Misuzulu’s recognition was not done correctly.

However, the judgment was expected by the royal family members opposed to the king’s ascendancy after they admitted that the case may not go in their favour.

Before the judgment was handed down, the family held a meeting discussing the court case and it came out that the court might not rule in their favour.

Early last week, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the king’s traditional prime minister, filed his court papers in support of the latter.

In them, he said Prince Mbonisi and the 13 other royals were jumping the gun since the SCA was yet to rule on the matter.

“Moreover, such declaratory relief would effectively pre-empt the decision in the review court (the appeal in the SCA),” Buthelezi stated in his affidavit and other portfolios of evidence meant for the court.

Buthelezi reminded Prince Mbonisi that he has tried several times in the past to bring frivolous court actions and they failed.

He cited Prince Mbonisi’s failed bid to interdict King Misuzulu from addressing the commemoration of the battle of Isandlwana in Nquthu in January this year.

Buthelezi said Prince Mbonisi was supposed to bring the matter before a court in KwaZulu-Natal (not Pretoria) where almost all the applicants and respondents reside and since the issue of coronation is not a presidential one.

For the same court case, King Misuzulu has filed a supporting affidavit where he told the court that the allegations that he committed incest, abused drugs and alcohol and loses his composure after taking one too many are meant to tarnish his image and are patently false.

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