A large crowd of Zulu warriors escorted the late regent's remains. Picture: Michel Bega
The mortal remains of queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, regent of the Zulu nation, on Wednesday left Johannesburg for KwaZulu-Natal ahead of a private burial for the queen on Thursday.
A royal entourage, officials from the Gauteng provincial government and Zulu maidens and amabutho (Zulu warriors) were spotted outside the Hillbrow mortuary to escort the remains of the regent.
Her body is expected to arrive in KZN in the afternoon.
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Queen Mantfombi passed away last Thursday at Johannesburg’s Milpark Hospital aged 65.
Her remains will be interred at a ceremony at the Kwakhangelamankengane Royal Palace in Nongoma at the “crack of dawn” on Thursday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a special provincial official funeral/memorial service for the regent on Friday.
KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala has also appointed a team of four MECs to work with the royal family to facilitate the farewell for the queen.
Queen Mantfombi was appointed regent in the interregnum – the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next – following the death of her husband, king Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, in March.
She was married to Zwelithini in 1977 and became his third wife.
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