Mangosuthu Buthelezi clarifies his ‘King Misuzulu needs treatment’ comment

Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu monarch and nation Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has clarified the comments he made about AmaZulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini on Wednesday.

Buthelezi attended a prayer service on Wednesday morning at St Mary’s Anglican Church in Nkonjeni, KwaZulu-Natal, where he received 55 church leaders from various denominations affiliated with the KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council.

The leaders had gathered to pray for Buthelezi, the royal family and other issues that have gripped the province.

‘King is not well’

In his message of thanks, Buthelezi also called on the religious leaders to pray for King Misuzulu.

“The King is not well. We need to pray very hard for him. He is not well, he needs treatment,” Buthelezi told the religious leaders.

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His comment caused a bit of confusion as some questioned King Misuzulu’s health.

However, a statement released by Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) MP Liezl van der Merwe on behalf of Buthelezi clarified that the prime minister was not talking about the king’s physical health.

“Thanking them for their prayers for him, for the nation and for His Majesty the King, Prince Buthelezi spoke of the spiritual onslaught His Majesty is facing,” reads the statement.

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“He described him as unwell, meant to be understood as spiritually unwell, due to the many attacks, struggles and personal turmoil His Majesty has faced in recent months, which has been in the public domain. Regrettably this comment has been misinterpreted, as the King being physically unwell, which is not the case.”

Misuzulu recognised

Misuzulu was officially recognised as king of Amazulu by President Cyril Ramaphosa in March last year.

The official recognition followed the passing of King Goodwill Zwelithini Zulu a year before and the passing of the regent queen Mantfombi Dlamini a month after the king’s death.

The Royal family had identified then Prince Misuzulu as the person who qualified in terms of customary law and customs to assume the position of king and applied to the President for his recognition.

“As required by the Act, the recognition of the king-elect by the President follows consultations with the minister of cooperative and traditional affairs and the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal,” said the presidency at the time.

But his reign has plagued by court cases and other controversial issues, which Buthelezi said had taken a toll on him, hence the request for prayers.