In 2011 the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government celebrated the 40th anniversary of King Goodwill Zwelithini’s reign as the traditional leader of the 11-million strong Zulu people. Not a cent was spared for the celebrations as his subjects expressed their love, respect and appreciation for the longest reigning monarch in Zulu history, a record previously held by his forebear, Mpande kaSenzangakhona (1798-1872), the root on which the Zulu royal dynasty grew. A successor of his brothers Shaka and Dingaan, he sat on the Zulu throne from 1840 and reigned for just over 30 years.
Following reports of his passing on Friday, King Zwelithini was fondly remembered as a king with a deep love for his people and the mainstay of their cultural identity. And while he was a proud and ardent custodian of the Zulu people’s ancestral traditions, he was also remembered as a man of deep religious convictions. This was evident in the church music he occasionally played with some virtuosity on the organ. The music talent runs in the bloodline as the story of his grand aunt, Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu attests.
Despite his aristocratic bearing, the king was known to be at home with ordinary people. He was reportedly in the habit of driving himself in the countryside without bodyguards.
During these drives he would offer common folk a lift, much to their surprise. In his fatherly manner he would initiate a conversation on basic and mundane subjects such as the weather or the welfare of their fellow villagers. And while it is taboo for most royals to shake hands with commoners, the king broke with this tradition as he insisted on this form of greeting.
King Zwelithini was born on July 14 1948 in Nongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal, the first-born male child to King Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon and his second wife, Queen Thomozile Jezangani kaNdwandwe from the Nxumalo royal house of the Ndwandwe people. Also a warrior nation, they were the most powerful kingdom in the region during the reign of King Zwide kaLanga before they suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of King Shaka kaSenzangakhona around 1816. In a 2010 City Press interview with Makhosegazi Simelane-Buthelezi, she described the king’s mother as “kind, very beautiful, tall, well-built, light in complexion with a nice voice”.
Queen Thomozile passed away in 1958. The young prince was raised by his paternal grandmother, Queen Hlabangane. He was educated at Cyprian Bhekuzulu College, an exclusive learning academy for royal children in Nongoma where he was taught the customs and traditions of his people. He received further tuition on traditional governance and related matters at Khethomthandayo royal palace, also in Nongoma. Despite his talent on the ivories, also distinguished himself as a talented footballer. He was initiated into coming of age ceremonies and participated in dancing, courtship and stick fighting.
One of his groundbreaking achievements in this regard was the revival of the Umkhosi WoMhlanga, the Reed Dance ceremony, in 1991.
After King Cyprian Bhekuzulu’s passing on September 17 1968, the 18-year-old crown prince was taken into hiding to protect him from potential assassins following a succession dispute in the royal family.
After the succession storm subsided, he returned and on December 3 1971, he was crowned Isilo samabandla (king) of the Zulus. Chief Gatsha Buthelezi, as he was known at the time, was reportedly not invited, a slight to the then chief minister of the apartheid-created KwaZulu Legislative Assembly. It was a snub that would define the uneasy relationship between the king and his chief minister for years to come. The uncle would become more powerful than the nephew on the throne. The latter was seen by observers as a ceremonial figurehead with no political power and dependent on the homeland government for an annual subsidy.
But that would change somewhat after 1994 when the ANC government saw in him an ally who could help broker peace in the politically volatile and conflict-ridden region. While in the 80s he was largely associated with Buthelezi and his Inkatha Freedom Party, under the new dispensation he seemed to lean towards the ANC, a move that became costly. In 1996 his second wife, Queen Buhle Mathe, and their daughter were attacked by unknown gang at their house in KwaMashu, Durban. It was widely speculated that the attack was caused by his “defection” from the IFP.
During his inauguration, minister of bantu affairs MC Botha officiated at the proceedings and told the young king that it was through the grace of the white man that he was now leader of his people. But all that would be a distant memory under the Nelson Mandela administration and beyond. He was the envy of other royal houses as he was the beneficiary of the lion’s share from the public purse, thanks to his large family and expensive tastes.
As chairperson of the Ingonyama Trust, he was the custodian of about 30% of the traditional land in KwaZulu-Natal and was critical of the ANC government’s land redistribution policies. He threatened war and withholding of votes for the ruling party should the government interfere in this regard.
In 2015 he ruffled feathers when he praised the apartheid government in a widely publicised speech for having built solid infrastructure that he argued was being destroyed by irresponsible elements within society. Some of his staunchest supporters were clearly embarrassed by his remarks while others blamed the media for fabricating the story. The explanation by his spin doctors – that the king was quoted out of context – didn’t convince many.
In recent times fate dealt him a hard blow. Last year he lost a sister, Queen Noloyiso Sandile of the Amarharhabe, and a son, Prince Lethukuthula Zulu, the heir to his throne. The 50-year-old was found murdered in a Johannesburg hotel under questionable circumstances that involved allegations of drugs, heavy partying and mixing with bad elements.
He is survived by six wives and 28 children.
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