Johnathan Paoli
AmaZulu king Misuzulu kaZwelithini has appointed Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi as the new traditional prime minister and Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza as deputy prime minister
The king joined KwaZulu-Natal officials as the province marks the commemoration of the Battle of Isandlwana in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.
This year marks 145 years since Zulu regiments defeated the British army in the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War, with the site of the battle becoming a historic landmark, and an annual commemoration.
Misuzulu appointed the Zululand district municipality mayor Buthelezi as the new traditional prime minister of the Zulu nation, replacing the late prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi who passed away in September last year.
In addition, the monarch created a position for a deputy traditional prime minister and appointed Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza of the Chiliza clan from the province’s south coast.
Mangosuthu Buthelezi was traditional prime minister to three successive Zulu kings, beginning with King Cyprian Bhekuzulu in 1954.
According to the former prime minister his paternal family was traditionally responsible for providing the royal family with its prime ministers, although the term itself was apparently a new innovation and referred to what previously might have been called the king’s premier chief, his most senior advisor among the traditional leaders beneath him.
This comes on the heels of a scandal surrounding the district municipality mayor, after reports emerged which indicated that funds had been withdrawn from the municipality account, allegedly by the mayor.
Last week, the EFF alleged that the funds had disappeared from the municipal account and called for a forensic investigation into Buthelezi’s bank accounts.
The party called for Buthelezi’s removal, stating that the IFP was on a mission to loot municipal funds, to pay for their manifesto rally which will take place at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
In 2021, Buthelezi returned as a mayor after the local government elections with the help of the EFF’s Thulani Ndlovu, who was elected to the deputy mayor’s position.
Since then, Buthelezi has faced various allegations which he has described as a “smear campaign” that started in 2017 when he took over as the mayor.
Last year, an email accusing him of sexual harassment emerged. The email was purportedly written by an unknown woman who claimed to be an employee of the district municipality.
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