APA-Durban (South Africa) South Africa’s Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini is being treated in hospital in neighbouring Eswatini for suspected poisoning, his traditional prime minister has said.
AmaZulu Prime Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi said the king was hospitalised on Saturday amid fears that he may have been poisoned.
This follows the passing of one of his senior advisors, who is also suspected of having been poisoned together with the king.
“When His Majesty began to feel unwell, he suspected that he too may have been poisoned. He immediately sought out medical treatment in Eswatini,” Buthelezi said.
According to Buthelezi, the king insisted on seeking medical attention in Eswatini as he was uncomfortable being treated in South Africa.
“I am informed that His Majesty felt uncomfortable seeking treatment in South Africa, as his parents had both received treatment in South Africa and subsequently died,” Buthelezi added.
King Misuzulu took over from his father King Goodwill Zwelithini who died in March 2021. However, his coronation was delayed following a vicious family feud over who was the rightful heir to the throne.
A faction within the family challenged his claim to the throne in court, insisting that he was not the rightful heir of his late father who had six wives and at least 26 children.
The rival family group wanted another son of the late king, Prince Simakade, to succeed King Zwelithini.
Although he was officially appointed as the king of the Zulu nation in May 2021, King Misuzulu’s traditional coronation did not take place until 20 August 2022 after the customary entering-the-cattle-kraal ceremony.
King Misuzulu was eventually crowned and recognized by the South African government in October 2022.
The Zulu king does not have formal political power and the monarch’s role within broader South African society is largely ceremonial, but he remains hugely influential with a yearly government-funded budget of several million dollars.
JN/APA