Zulu traditional prime minister Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi expressed his dismay as he pointed out the contradictory actions of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini regarding the Ingonyama Trust board matter. However, the king’s recent changes to the board contradicted his previous statement of not making any alterations.
The Ingonyama Trust Board holds authority over vast land spanning more than 2 million hectares in KwaZulu-Natal. Nevertheless, the prime minister disapproved of the king’s decisions, finding little support for them.
During their meeting, Prince Buthelezi shared, “In our meeting, his majesty accepted Inkosi Mzimela’s appeal to withdraw as chairperson of the Ingonyama Trust board.” According to him, the agreement had been finalized between the board and the Zulu king, indicating that Chief Thanduyise Mzimela would not be appointed as the chairperson.
Moreover, the prime minister emphasized that the former KwaZulu-Natal judge, Jerome Ngwenya, was assured of his continued service as the board’s chairperson. “His Majesty then phoned honorable Mr. Ngwenya to confirm his continued service as chairperson of the board. This was also done in our presence at that meeting,” stated Buthelezi.
However, only two weeks after the meeting, the Zulu king unexpectedly appointed Mzimela as the chairperson, contradicting the prior agreements.
Prince Buthelezi expressed his frustration, claiming that the Zulu king’s actions were making it increasingly challenging for him to fulfill his duties as the prime minister.