AmaZulu king Misuzulu kaZwelithini's authority has been questioned following the denial of his statement that fired his two senior officials.
Image: SIPHAMANDLA MBHELE
A senior official in the Zulu Prime Minister Executive Council (PMEC) has attributed the dismissal of Royal Chancellor inkosi Malusi Zondi and the dissolution of the king’s private office to a power struggle over the proximity to AmaZulu king Misuzulu kaZwelithini.
The six-member structure was created by the king and is led by his traditional Prime Minister, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi.
On Friday, Buthelezi in his capacity as the Prime Minister issued a statement on behalf of the king announcing the removal of Zondi and the dissolution of the king’s private office which is controlled by Arnold Nododile.
However, the confusion reigned when both Zondi and Nododile dismissed the statement as fake, despite confirmation by the king’s spokesperson, Prince Thulani Zulu, who also informed the Zulu nation on Ukhozi FM on Friday evening.
Speaking on Saturday and confirming the authenticity of the statement, Zulu said the king was present when Buthelezi briefed him that he would issue a statement.
However, Zondi and Nododile said that they were never informed by the king of their dismissal. They both said that upon receiving the news, they personally spoke to the king who denied the knowledge of the decision to remove them. Both men assured the public that they are still in their offices and continuing with their duties.
In a recorded video clip, Zondi said he was still the royal chancellor, saying that both Buthelezi and the king had denied the knowledge of the statement. Zondi said it came as a shock to him. Nododile also said he called the king who denied that he approved the statement.
A senior official in the royal family said he saw this coming as there has been an ongoing ‘cold war’ between the PMEC officials. The source said the bone of contention is the proximity to the king.
“Remember that before the Prime Minister enjoyed greater powers and would announce anything after speaking to the king, however, with the establishment of the PMEC, all the decisions must be first discussed by the structure before being implemented. This arrangement disturbed certain people who felt it had curtailed their powers and limited their direct access to the king. The bigger issue is who gets to be listened to by the king most. It's a proximity war,” said the source.
The king’s spokesperson Zulu said he would not comment on the denial of dismissal by the two officials, saying it would be the king and the Prime Minister who would clarify the matter when meeting with KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli.
“This was not my statement. It was written by the Prime Minister and my job is to take media queries,” said Zulu.
The Prime Minister had not responded to questions sent to him about the confusion on the matter.