KZN traditional leaders welcome King Misuzulu's decision on Prime Minister
Amazulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has again appointed Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi as his Prime Minister.
Image: File
Traditional leaders (amakhosi) in KwaZulu-Natal have welcomed the reinstatement of Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi to the position of amaZulu Traditional Prime Minister almost a year after King Misuzulu kaZwelithini unceremoniously removed him from the position.
Buthelezi, the current KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC in the IFP-led Government of Provincial Unity, was removed on 25 December, with the king not providing an explanation for the dismissal.
In a surprise move on Tuesday night, Buthelezi was again sworn-in as Traditional Prime Minister at the Mashobeni royal palace. In a statement issued before midnight, the king confirmed his appointment.
Reacting to the announcement, the chairperson of the provincial House of Traditional Leaders, inkosi Sifiso Shinga welcomed the king’s move, saying amakhosi in the province were happy with the reappointment.
“It is the prerogative of the king to appoint the Prime Minister of his choice, which we welcome as amakhosi. Although in a working environment we cannot always agree on everything, amakhosi have a cordial working relationship with Buthelezi,” said Shinga.
Cultural expert Professor Sihawu Ngubane also welcomed Buthelezi’s reappointment. He said that the king may have realised that it was a mistake to remove him from the position and wanted to rectify it. He said he believed there were no serious reasons for the king's original decision to remove Buthelezi from the position.
“I think His Majesty is rectifying the mistake he may have committed. For me I think it was an error of judgement, perhaps it was a personal matter since he never replaced him with anyone,” said Ngubane.
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal which is known to have political issues with Buthelezi, said it noted the appointment. Buthelezi’s problems with the ANC date back to the widely publicised microphone-grabbing incident early last year.
Buthelezi, was about to introduce the king to speak when the then ANC provincial chairperson Siboniso Duma grabbed the microphone.
Duma, who was the programme director had picked up that Buthelezi was going to use the opportunity to attack the ANC in front of president Cyril Ramaphosa and the king in the run up to elections in May.
Although Duma later apologised to the king, Buthelezi's tension with the ANC escalated to the provincial government after elections, when he was made the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC.
The ANC has accused him of using his government position to target the municipalities under it, particularly the placing of Umkhanyakude District Municipality under administration. The decision has since been reversed.
The king on Tuesday emphasised that the Prime Minister will serve as the chief executive authority of the Zulu Kingdom beneath the King and represent him in governmental, administrative, and developmental matters.
However, with the establishment of a five member Prime Minister Executive Council, the king appears to have curtailed the powers of the Prime Minister whose decisions will now have to be approved by the council. Historically, the position had no deputy and was not part of a council.
Although Buthelezi will chair the council, he will have to seek authority from the council which is made of Deputy Traditional Prime Minister inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza, the King’s Representative to the House of Traditional Leaders Prince Nathi Zulu, the Royal Chancellor inkosi Malusi Zondi and the Head of The Private Office of His Majesty, Arnold Ndamase.