DURBAN - ZULU King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has instructed his lawyers to oppose moves by Prince Simakade Zulu to halt his ascendancy to the throne. This is after it emerged that the prince wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa this week, asking him to halt the coronation.
In a letter sent to the king’s law firm and the State Attorney in Durban late on Monday, Prince Simakade said he intended to launch a court action to review and set aside the decision by Ramaphosa to recognise Misuzulu as king, as the process of identifying him was procedurally and substantively flawed.
The letter came just days after the prince’s lawyers had also asked to be provided with the reasons that had prompted Ramaphosa to determine that King Misuzulu was the heir to the throne. In a responding letter yesterday, King Misuzulu’s lawyers insisted that the coronation preparations were going ahead.
“Our instructions are to oppose any application for an interdict as well as any review application relating to the recognition and subsequent coronation of our client. Accordingly, should your client wish to proceed with instituting any legal proceedings against or affecting our client, this serves to confirm that we will accept service of process,” read the letter.
The king’s lawyers questioned the reason behind the belated court action.
“If it was the client’s (Prince Simakade Zulu) desire to pursue an interdict pending a review, it should have acted expediently. The Madondo AJP judgment was handed down on March 2, nearly a month ago. Your client sat idle until the president’s intervening decision to recognise our client as the King of AmaZulu was made (which your client now intends to review),” the letter continued.
The letter further noted that the matter was of huge public importance, expressing concern over the belated threat to pursuing the review, which it labelled as “ill-fated”.
“We note the request for our client’s consent and undertaking not to proceed with any arrangements for the special ceremony (inauguration and/ or coronation) pending the finalisation of the threatened review proceedings. For the record, as far as we are aware, the arrangements for the special ceremony (coronation) are ongoing and at advanced stages,” the letter continued.
The king’s spokesperson, Prince Africa Zulu, confirmed that the legal team had been instructed to respond to Prince Simakade, and insisted that the coronation plans were moving forward.
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