South Africa: Zulu king says he is "in good shape" after rumors about his health (to AFP)

July 3, 2023

The king of the Zulus, the most powerful customary ruler in South Africa, assured AFP on Monday that he was “in good shape”, after the sudden death of one of his close advisers who feared poisoning.

“I’m doing very well, I’m fit and strong,” Misuzulu Zulu said by telephone from the small neighboring state of Eswatini where he is for medical examinations.

Misuzulu Zulu, 48, also known as Misuzulu kaZwelithini, came to the throne last year on the death of his father, Goodwill Zwelithini, following a bitter family battle over the succession.

King Zwelithini, who died after more than 50 years of reign, left behind six wives and at least 28 children.

In a statement released overnight from Saturday to Sunday, the influential traditional Zulu Prime Minister, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, said he had been informed that Misuzulu Zulu had been hospitalized “after falling ill earlier in the day” on Saturday.

Asked by AFP, the king said on Monday that he had “never” been hospitalized in recent days. “It was a routine checkup that I do every three months, sometimes every six months,” he said.

The king’s spokesman, Prince Africa Zulu, said on Sunday that the sovereign underwent “extensive” medical examinations in Eswatini after the sudden death of one of his close advisers who made him fear the risk of poisoning, and that he was “in perfect health”.

On Monday, the spokesman told AFP that the king had spent the day working, notably meeting a Chinese delegation, without further details.

On Sunday, Prince Africa Zulu had denounced an “orchestrated attempt” to circulate “baseless information about the health of Her Majesty”.

The king preferred to seek treatment in Eswatini rather than in South Africa where both his parents “were treated and died”, he added, expressing his “great concern”.

The king’s spokesman did not say when Misuzulu Zulu was expected to return to South Africa.

In the southern African country, sovereigns and traditional chiefs are recognized by the Constitution. Kings without executive power, they wield deep moral authority and are revered by their people. The country with 11 official languages has 11 million Zulus, or almost one in five South Africans.

In September, a Misuzulu Zulu councilor was mysteriously shot and killed on the sidelines of a traditional ceremony.