Durban - A senior prince of the Zulu royal household, who doubles up as the spokesperson for King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, has tendered his resignation after serving during a tumultuous succession battle for the throne.
Prince Thulani Zulu will end his career as the king’s and royal household spokesperson – a position he has occupied since 2016 – on December 31.
The prince confirmed to the Sunday Tribune that he was serving a 30-day notice to KwaZulu-Natal’s Office of the Premier, where he is employed under the Royal Household sub-directorate, to go on early retirement. Prince Thulani, a qualified teacher, left his job as a school principal in 2011 to work closely with the late King Goodwill Zwelithini. He said he decided to quit teaching to work with the king because there was a lot of work over the weekends at the time.
He joined as an assistant director, moved through the ranks, and was promoted in 2016 to deputy director of communications and media liaison to speak on behalf of the king. The prince was the “go-to man” on issues relating to King Misuzulu and the media.
During the court hearings on disputes over the throne after the death of King Zwelithini, he was responsible for briefing the amabutho (Zulu army) and the public on the court outcomes when King Misuzulu’s kingship was contested. He said he knew his time as a spokesperson was over when King Zwelithini passed away, but he had to continue serving through the succession battles.
“It is a prerogative of the king to choose his spokesperson, and that of the royal household. I think I’ve done my part. I must pass the baton to someone else. I’m not running away. This is my home. Whenever the king or royal court needs me, I will always be available, but I will no longer perform the duties I’m known for,” he said.
His most difficult period as the king’s mouthpiece was following the death of King Zwelithini, when several princes were mentioned as potential successors, and divisions arose. The Sunday Tribune was reliably informed that Prince Thulani had some difficulties in dealing with the provincial government on royal issues, and was at some stage accused of “defying” government decisions.
This was among other reasons why Prince Thulani opted for early retirement. However, he has denied the allegations, saying there was “no bad blood” between him and the provincial government that he was aware of. But the prince admitted that he had faced challenges, as he had to strike a balance as a government official and spokesperson for the king.
He said he had to make “tough decisions” at times that were not always in line with the government's vision. He referred to the occasion when the KZN government withdrew from supporting royal household events such as the reed dance, Shaka’s Day and the Isandlwana commemoration, among others, due to the disputes over the throne which were before the courts in 2021.
Prince Thulani said he had to lead the royal household to raise funds from businesses and municipalities to stage all the events, without support from the provincial government. “That may have been an issue, and I could have been disciplined as an employee of the state.
But I was driven by the fact that the kingdom belonged to the Zulu nation, not to the government. “However, I felt there would always be a clash of ideas if the staff or the officers of the king are employed by the government, because they need to comply with the rules that may not always align with the vision of the Zulu nation,” he said. Prince Thulani could not confirm who was likely to fill his position. He said the king would decide who would take over.
Lennox Mabaso, the KZN provincial spokesperson, said he would have to check with the human resources unit if Prince Thulani had tendered his resignation before he could comment.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE