King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu (27 July 1948 – 12 March 2021) was the reigning
King of the Zulu nation from 1968 to his death in 2021.
He became King on the death on of his father, King
Cyprian Bhekuzulu
Cyprian Bhekuzulu Nyangayezizwe kaSolomon (4 August 1924 – 17 September 1968) was the king of the Zulu nation from 1948 until his death at Nongoma in 1968. He succeeded his father, king Solomon kaDinuzulu, after a lengthy succession dispute wh ...
, in 1968 aged 20 years. Prince Israel Mcwayizeni acted as the regent from 1968 to 1971 while the King took refuge in the then Transkai province of South Africa for three years to avoid assassination. After his 21st birthday and his first marriage, Zwelithini was installed as the eighth
monarch of the Zulus at a traditional ceremony at Nongoma on 3 December 1971, attended by 20,000 people. Zwelithini died on 12 March 2021, aged 72, after reportedly being admitted to hospital for diabetes-related illness.
During preparations for his funeral, the king's traditional prime minister,
Mangosuthu Buthelezi
Prince Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi (born 27 August 1928) is a South African politician and Zulu traditional leader who is currently a Member of Parliament and the traditional prime minister to the Zulu royal family. He was Chief Minister of the ...
, announced that he had died of
COVID-19.
Political role
In the power vacuum created in the 1990s as
Apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid wa ...
and the domination of the country by
White South Africans was abolished, the King was increasingly drawn to partisan politics. The Zulu-dominated
Inkatha Freedom Party
The Inkatha Freedom Party ( zu, IQembu leNkatha yeNkululeko, IFP) is a right-wing political party in South Africa. The party has been led by Velenkosini Hlabisa since the party's 2019 National General Conference. Mangosuthu Buthelezi founded ...
(IFP) initially opposed parts of the new constitution advocated by the
African National Congress
The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election installe ...
(ANC) regarding the internal governance of
KwaZulu
KwaZulu was a semi-independent bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government as a homeland for the Zulu people. The capital was moved from Nongoma to Ulundi in 1980.
It was led until its abolition in 1994 by Chief Mangosuthu ...
. In particular, the IFP campaigned aggressively for an autonomous and sovereign Zulu king, as constitutional head of state. As a result, the IFP abstained from registering its party for the 1994 election until the king's role in the new democracy is clarified. Mandela and president De Klerk arranged a special meeting where it was agreed that international mediators would be called to try and sort out the issue of a king. As a result, the IFP was registered for the elections. It demonstrated its political strength by taking the majority of the provincial votes for
KwaZulu-Natal in the said election.
Although the constitution makes the role of the King largely ceremonial, it is incumbent upon him to act on the official advice of the provincial
premier. On occasion, South African President
Nelson Mandela made efforts to bypass the IFP in negotiating with the Zulus, instead making direct overtures to the King (Mandela's daughter,
Zeni, is married to Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini, a brother of King Zwelithini's
Great Wife
Great Wife, otherwise appearing in West Africa as Senior Wife, is an honorific applied to contemporary royal and aristocratic consorts in states throughout modern Africa (e.g., Mantfombi Dlamini of eSwatini, who once served as the chief consort of ...
,
Queen Mantfombi).
Nonetheless, the IFP remained in power in the province until 2003.
During most of the King's
reign, his cousin (uncle in Zulu
African reckoning),
Mangosuthu Buthelezi
Prince Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi (born 27 August 1928) is a South African politician and Zulu traditional leader who is currently a Member of Parliament and the traditional prime minister to the Zulu royal family. He was Chief Minister of the ...
, Prince of KwaPhindangene and founder/head of IFP, was the Zulu prime minister. But, in September 1994, tension between the previously allied kinsmen peaked publicly as the annual
Shaka Zulu
Shaka kaSenzangakhona ( – 22 September 1828), also known as Shaka Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reforms that ...
celebration approached. Rumours that the King was manoeuvring to replace Buthelezi as Zulu prime minister with former regent Prince Mcwayizeni, who had joined the ANC in 1990, seemed likely after the King announced that Buthelezi would no longer be his chief advisor, and simultaneously cancelled the holiday ceremony.
For his safety, federal troops escorted King Zwelithini by helicopter to
Johannesburg.
Although Buthelezi was then serving as
Minister of Home Affairs
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
in South Africa's
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
, President Mandela's efforts to broker a reconciliation failed. Buthelezi moved the event from Nongoma to
Stanger
KwaDukuza is a municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 2006, the municipal name was changed to KwaDukuza (which incorporates small towns such as Stanger, Balito, Shaka's Kraal, but the Zulu people in the area called it "Dukuza" well before ...
, and addressed a throng of 10,000 of his Zulu supporters.
Subsequently, the King's spokesman, Prince Sifiso Zulu, was being interviewed on television at the
South African Broadcasting Corporation's studio when Buthelezi and his bodyguards forcibly interrupted the programme, physically intimidating Prince Sifiso. The televised incident drew national attention and a public rebuke from Mandela, prompting Buthelezi to apologise to the Zulu Royal Family, Cabinet and nation for his behaviour.
Relations between Zwelithini and Buthelezi later improved.
King Zwelithini has cooperated as the law requires with the ANC since it took over the reins of government in
KwaZulu-Natal. The King's finances are controlled by
KwaZulu-Natal provincial authorities.
In 1989 he criticized the
ANC
The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
leadership for not inviting him and Buthelezi to a rally welcoming back the
Rivonia Trial
The Rivonia Trial took place in South Africa between 9 October 1963 and 12 June 1964, and led to the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela and the others among the accused who were convicted of sabotage and sentenced to life at the Palace of Justic ...
defendants
In court proceedings, a defendant is a person or object who is the party either accused of committing a crime in criminal prosecution or against whom some type of civil relief is being sought in a civil case.
Terminology varies from one jurisd ...
, who had been released after almost three decades of imprisonment.
As the constitutional monarch of the kingdom of KwaZulu-Natal, he was head of the ''Ubukhosi'', the state-recognized institution of Traditional Leadership that consists of local chiefs. His leadership role also entailed chairmanship of the Usuthu Tribal Authority and Nongoma Regional Authority, both established under the provisions of the KwaZulu Amakhosi and Iziphakanyiswa Act. In his address upon the opening of the Provincial Parliament on 28 September 2003, the King advised the government and legislators to give more heed to the ''Ubukhosi'':
Traditional Leaders are neither consulted nor involved in the process of formulating policies that have a direct bearing on their day to day activities. The institution of ''Ubukhosi'' has been in existence from time immemorial and has survived many hardships under past colonial regimes. From the point of view of the ordinary citizen, an Inkosi's most important role may lie in his symbolizing of community solidarity. So any notion that the institution of ''Ubukhosi'', now that we have a democratic government in place, can just be wished away, remains a pipe-dream. Some countries just across our borders had decided to do away with the institution of traditional leadership immediately after attaining independence from colonial rulers. However, they have since realised that they had committed gross mistakes and were now re-inventing these institutions at great costs. As King of the Zulu Nation I am proud of the role played by the Prime Minister of the Zulu Nation, Prince of KwaPhindangene, Dr MG Buthelezi who had singlehandedly championed the cause of the Institution of Traditional Leadership in this country.
Cultural role
The King was chairman of the
Ingonyama Trust
The Ingonyama Trust is a corporate entity established to administer the land traditionally owned by the Zulu people, represented by their king, for the benefit, material welfare and social well-being of the Zulu nation, who continue to occupy the l ...
, a corporate entity established to administer the land traditionally owned by the king for the benefit, material welfare and social well-being of the Zulu nation. This land consists of 32% of the area of KwaZulu/Natal.
As the custodian of Zulu traditions and customs, King Zwelithini revived cultural functions such as the
Umhlanga, the colourful and symbolic reed dance ceremony which, amongst other things, promotes moral awareness and
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...
education among Zulu women, and the
Ukweshwama, the
first fruits
First Fruits is a religious offering of the first agricultural produce of the harvest. In classical Greek, Roman, and Hebrew religions, the first fruits were given to priests as an offering to deity. In Christian faiths, the tithe is similar ...
ceremony, which is a traditional function involving certain traditional rituals including the killing of a bull. The latter ceremony was subject to a lawsuit brought in November 2009 by
Animal Rights Africa, alleging that the method of killing the animal was cruel and barbaric. He has also traveled abroad extensively to promote tourism and trade in the
West for KwaZulu-Natal, and to fundraise for Zulu-supported charities, often accompanied by one of his
queens consort. On such occasions he was frequently officially hosted by local Zulu organizations, and granted audiences to Zulus living abroad.
In June 1994, the
University of Zululand
The University of Zululand or UniZulu is the only comprehensive tertiary educational institution north of the Tugela River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Its new status is in accordance with South Africa's National Plan for Higher Education ...
conferred an honorary doctorate in agriculture upon the King. He was Chancellor of the South African branch of the American-based
Newport University
The University of Wales, Newport ( cy, Prifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd), was a university based in Newport, South Wales, before the merger that formed the University of South Wales in April 2013. The university had two campuses in Newport, Caerleo ...
. In March 1999
Coker College
Coker University is a private university in Hartsville, South Carolina. It was founded in 1908 and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Coker's sports teams, nicknamed the Cobras, compete in NCAA Division II.
Histo ...
of
South Carolina awarded him an honorary doctorate in law. During the first half of 2001 he was inaugurated as Chancellor of the
ML Sultan Technikon
ML Sultan is located in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and has now merged with Technikon Natal to form the Durban University of Technology.
History
The institution was named after Mohammed Lappa Sultan who donated funds in 1941 to establis ...
in KwaZulu-Natal.
The King's authorized biography, ''King of Goodwill,'' was published in 2003. The musical dramatization of this work premiered at the
Market Theatre,
Johannesburg on 16 March 2005.
The King spoke at The Synagogue Church Of All Nations in
Lagos, Nigeria, in 2004 regarding the importance of trade and peace.
Controversies
In January 2012, while speaking at an event commemorating the 133rd anniversary of the
Battle of Isandlwana
The Battle of Isandlwana (alternative spelling: Isandhlwana) on 22 January 1879 was the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Eleven days after the British commenced their invasion of Zulul ...
, the King caused controversy with his statement that same-sex relations were "rotten". His statements were condemned by the
South African Human Rights Commission
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) was inaugurated in October 1995 as an independent chapter nine institution. It draws its mandate from the South African Constitution by way of the Human Rights Commission Act of 1994.
Commissioner ...
as well as
LGBT rights groups. President
Jacob Zuma
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan name Msholozi, and was a former anti-aparth ...
rebuked the king for his comments. The Zulu Royal Household later said that the King's comments had been mistranslated and that he had not condemned same-sex relations, only expressed concern about a state of moral decay in South Africa that has led to widespread
sexual abuse, including
male-on-male sexual abuse.
In September 2012, King Goodwill Zwelithini asked the KwaZulu-Natal government for R18 million to build new property, including a new R6 million palace for his youngest wife Queen Mafu and upgrades to Queen MaMchiza's palace. The King's royal household department CFO, Mduduzi Mthembu, told a parliamentary committee that the money was needed. The department also requested $1.4 million
USD for improvements to Queen MaMchiza's palace.
The government had already budgeted around $6.9 million USD for the royal family during 2012, not for the first time prompting accusations of lavish spending; in 2008, opposition parties criticised King Zwelithini's wives for spending around $24,000 USD on linen, designer clothes, and expensive holidays.
Speaking at Phongolo
UPhongolo Local Municipality community meeting in March 2015, King Zwelithini acknowledged that while other nations had participated in efforts which led to South Africa's liberation, that should not be considered an excuse for foreigners to cause inconvenience in the country now by competing with locals for scarce economic opportunities.
[Foreigners must go home – King Zwelithini](_blank)
''Nehanda'. Retrieved 15 April 2015.' Contending that he was free to say what politicians were not, he asked that foreigners please return to their native lands since, he maintained, South African nationals in
diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews afte ...
had not gone on to open businesses in host countries.
These observations were made during a time of growing unease between South Africans and non-nationals, violence having erupted in
Soweto in January and spread to KwaZulu-Natal, resulting in three deaths.
The
Democratic Alliance's spokesman, calling for a public retraction and apology, criticised the remarks as "highly irresponsible", while a
SAHRC official labelled them
xenophobic in light of recent attacks on foreigners.
Alleged to have sparked violence against non-nationals, although Zwelithini's remarks about anti-social behaviour and the desirability of foreigners believed responsible leaving South Africa did not distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants, his spokesman subsequently said that he was referring only to those present in the country illegally.
[enca.com]
Listen in English: King Goodwill Zwelithini lays into foreigners
Retrieved 17 April 2015.
Wives and children
King Goodwill Zwelithini had six wives and 28 children. These include
#
maDlamini of Kwa-Khethomthandayo Royal House, Nongoma, (born Sibongile Winifred Dlamini), married 27 December 1969 at St Margaret's Church, Nongoma.
## Prince
Lethukuthula Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Sibongile MaDlamini), born 1970 - died 2020.
## Princess Nombuso Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Sibongile MaDlamini), owner of Durban-based Ilembe Catering Services, born 1973.
## Ntombizosuthu Ka Zwelithini Duma (by Ndlunkulu Sibongile MaDlamini), a businesswoman who co-owns Strategic Persuasions and Zamalwandle Transport Logistics with her husband. Born 1979, married to Mbongiseni Duma, a Johannesburg-based businessman.
## Princess Ntandoyenkosi Ka Zwelithini Ngcaweni (by Ndlunkulu Sibongile MaDlamini), an Asset Manager at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), born 1982. Married to Busani Ngcaweni, who headed the office of the former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa,
Kgalema Motlanthe
Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe (; born 19 July 1949) is a South African politician who was South Africa's third president between 25 September 2008 and 9 May 2009, following Thabo Mbeki's resignation. Thereafter, he was deputy president under Jacob Z ...
.
## Princess Sinethemba Bati Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Sibongile Dlamini), born 1989, currently pursuing a degree in International Relations, at the University of Witwatersrand.
#
Buhle KaMathe of Kwa-Dlamahlahla Royal House, Nongoma, born . In May 1996, she and her daughter were seriously wounded in an assault during which they were clubbed, stabbed and shot.
## Princess
Sibusile Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Buhle KaMathe), born 1972.
## Princess
Nandi Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Buhle KaMathe), born 1977, married (civil) 6 December 2002 in
St John's Cathedral, Mthatha, by
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
Sitembele Mzamane and (traditional) 7 December at the
Thembu Great Place near
Qunu
Qunu () is a Xhosa rural village in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, south-west of Mthatha on the road between Dutywa and Mthatha.
The Mandela family
Former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was born near Qunu in the village Mv ...
, to Chief
Mfundo Bovulengwa Mtirara, born 25 March 1973, Acting Deputy Paramount Chief of the
Thembu
The Thembu Kingdom (''abaThembu ababhuzu-bhuzu, abanisi bemvula ilanga libalele'') was a Xhosa-state in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
According to Xhosa oral tradition, the AbaThembu migrated along the east coast of Southern Africa ...
from 2000, Chief of the
Matye'ngqina Traditional Authority Area.
##Prince Phumuzuzulu (by Ndlunkulu Buhle KaMathe – Phumuza), named after his great grandfather King Phumuzululu kaDinuzulu, son of King kaCetshwayo
## Prince Shlobosenkosi Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Buhle KaMathe), born 1988, studied at
Kearsney College
Kearsney College is a private boarding, English medium high school for boys in Botha's Hill, a small town between the provincial capital of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
History
Kearsney Coll ...
in
Botha's Hill
Botha's Hill (locally , ) is a small town outside Hillcrest in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It remains a peaceful beautiful hill where regular country style food and craft markets are held. It is the gateway to the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Kea ...
,
Durban.
## Prince Nhlanganiso Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Buhle KaMathe), married Wandi
## Prince Buzabazi, proposed to succeed his father by a royal faction
## late Prince Butho Zulu
#
Mantfombi Dlamini
Mantfombi Shiyiwe Dlamini Zulu (15 February 1953 – 29 April 2021) was the queen consort of the Zulu nation from 1977 to 2021 as the Great Wife to King Goodwill Zwelithini. She served as the queen regent from March 2021 to April 2021.
Early ...
, of Kwa-Khangelamankengane Royal House, Nongoma, the
Great Wife
Great Wife, otherwise appearing in West Africa as Senior Wife, is an honorific applied to contemporary royal and aristocratic consorts in states throughout modern Africa (e.g., Mantfombi Dlamini of eSwatini, who once served as the chief consort of ...
, 1953–2021, daughter of
Sobhuza II of Swaziland
Sobhuza II, (; also known as Nkhotfotjeni, Mona; 22 July 1899 – 21 August 1982) was the Paramount Chief and later Ngwenyama of Swaziland for 82 years and 254 days, the longest verifiable reign of any monarch in recorded history. Sobhuza w ...
and sister of
King Mswati III
Mswati III (born Makhosetive; 19 April 1968) is the king ( Swazi: Ngwenyama, Ingwenyama yemaSwati) of Eswatini and head of the Swazi royal family. He was born in Manzini in the Protectorate of Swaziland to King Sobhuza II and one of his younger w ...
, married 1977. Her Highness was also a member of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church, and was the acting regent upon her husband's death.
## King
Misuzulu Zulu
King Misuzulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini (born 23 September 1974) is the reigning King of the Zulu nation. While Misuzulu is the third oldest surviving son of King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, he is the first son of King Goodwill Zwelithini's ...
(by Ndlunkulu Mantfombi), born 23 September 1974 in
Kwahlabisa,
KwaZulu-Natal, with a degree in
International Studies from
Jacksonville, Florida, King of Zulu from 7 May 2021.
[ He is married and has two children with his wife. Educated at St. Charles College, Pietermaritzburg
## Princess Ntandoyesizwe Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Mantfombi), born 1976, married 13 April 2002 at Enyokeni Royal Palace, ]Nongoma
Nongoma is a town in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is the seat of the Nongoma Local Municipality. It is situated 300 km north of Durban and 56 km from Ulundi; it is surrounded by the Ngome Forest. It is a busy market town ...
, to late Prince Oupa Moilwa, Chief of the Bahurutshe BagaMoilwa. Civil ceremony 11 July 2004, in Pongola. Educated at St. John's Diocesan School for Girls, Pietermaritzburg
## Princess Nomkhosi (by Ndlunkulu Mantfombi), born 1978, fiancee Melusi Moyo. Educated at The Wykeham Collegiate
The Wykeham Collegiate (TWC) is a private girls' school situated in Clarendon, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The name is a combination of the two schools from which it was amalgamated. The first, Wykeham School, was founded in 1 ...
## Prince Bambindlovu (Makhosezwe), born 1981 (by Ndlunkulu Mantfombi) a farmer, interior designer and artist. Educated at St. Charles College, Pietermaritzburg
## Princess Bukhosibemvelo, (by Ndlunkulu Mantfombi), born 1985, married Sipho Nyawo, who paid 120 cows as part of the '' ilobolo'' for her. Educated at Epworth School, Pietermaritzburg
## Prince Lungelo, born 1984 (by Ndlunkulu Mantfombi), once a student at Michaelhouse
Michaelhouse is a full boarding senior school for boys founded in 1896. It is located in the Balgowan valley in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
History
''St. Michael's Diocesan College'' was founded in Pietermaritzburg in 1896 ...
boarding school in KwaZulu-Natal.
## Prince Mandlesizwe, born 1990 (by Ndlunkulu Mantfombi)
## Prince Simangaye, born 1991 (by Ndlunkulu Mantfombi)
# Thandekile "Thandi" Jane Ndlovu of Linduzulu Royal House, Nongoma, married 1988
## Prince Sihlangu Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Thandi), artist by name zulusoul
## Princess Mukelile Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Thandi)
# Nompumelelo Mchiza of oSuthu Royal House, Nongoma, married 25 July 1992.
## Princess Nqobangothando Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Nompumelelo)
## Prince Nhlangano Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Nompumelelo)
## Princess Cebo Zulu (by Ndlunkulu Nompumelelo)
# Zola Zelusiwe Mafu of Ondini Royal House, Ulundi, born , betrothed 2006, married 2014.
## Prince Nhlendlayenkosi Zulu (by Ndlunkulu LaMafu)["He was born in 2005 to the king's youngest wife, Ndlunkulu Zola Mafu, amid much controversy. Ndlunkulu fell pregnant in 2004 when she was just 17 years old." ]
See also
* List of Zulu kings
References
External links
Tourism site describing the Reed dance ceremony
News24
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zwelithini, Goodwill
Zulu kings
1948 births
2021 deaths
20th-century monarchs in Africa
21st-century monarchs in Africa
Monarchies of South Africa
People from Nongoma Local Municipality
Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa