The members of the KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace who are siblings of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini have castigated his conduct following the circulation of an expletive-laden audio recording that went viral recently.
The audio recording which purportedly captures the king letting rip expletives directed at his sister, Princess Nomkhosi, drew the ire of many who were shocked by the monarch's unsavoury language.
In a strongly worded but diplomatic statement, the siblings from the KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace, where the king and his siblings were raised, lambasted the choice of words captured in the audio recording that leaked towards the end of March.
Last month, the Zulu royal family confirmed that it was the king who was recorded in the audio recording. Yesterday, the members of KwaKhangelamankengane, in a statement, said, "The Zulu monarchy carries a legacy built on strength, wisdom, and dignity. Leadership demands sacrifice—personal feelings and pride must never come before duty.
"The survival of the throne depends on unity, not internal strife. When division takes root within the royal family, it does not only threaten individuals—it threatens the very foundation of the monarchy itself."
It remains unclear what the source of the disagreement was between the king and Princess Nomkhosi, but in the audio the monarch is heard declaring her "an enemy".
The statement went further and acknowledged King Shaka kaSenzangakhona for building a mighty nation and added that he did not do so through selfish quarrels or reckless actions.
"He understood that a house divided cannot stand. The strength of the Zulu kingdom was forged through discipline, vision, and unity, not infighting and dishonour. To betray that unity is to betray the legacy of the great kings who came before.
"The royal family must remember that their actions do not go unseen. Every word spoken, every act of discord, weakens the monarchy and brings shame to a name that should command respect," said the statement, in a clear rebuke of the king's actions.
The statement urged order to be restored in the monarchy.
"Leadership must be guided by wisdom, not reckless emotion. If peace is not maintained, the consequences will be severe—not only for the family but for the Zulu nation as a whole.
"The kingdom must stand as a pillar of strength, not a battlefield of egos. Those who forget this truth will not be remembered as leaders but as the ones who let the kingdom fall.
"The clip in question has shown there are bigger issues that we as siblings cannot ignore. It is our duty to ensure the leadership quality bar is lifted higher than parents left off," said the statement.
The king's siblings said they will not hesitate to defend the legacies of King Zwelithini and Queen Mantfombi .
"Most importantly, our parents demonstrated and lived the value of mutual respect and unity at home. The manner in which we speak, tone and language has to be exemplary to the nation."
The statement is signed by all the king's siblings: Princess Ntandoyesizwe, Princess Nomkhosi, Princess Bukhosibemvelo, Prince Bambindlovu, Prince Lungelo, Prince Mandlesizwe and Prince Simengaye.
"We all shared the same womb of a great woman whose legacy must be safeguarded and such a name never to be pronounced in vain. We come from a stock of conquerors and shall conquer GBV in our time, said the statement, stopping short of mentioning the unprintable expletive directed at Princess Nomkhosi.
"We wish to state that we’d never hesitate to protect our sister and any woman from harassment by any man, irrespective of his standing in the community. We are here to galvanise and charge up women to continue to stand up together and fight mercilessly against gender-based violence."
It is not the first time that the Zulu monarch has found himself embroiled in a compromising audio recording, as a few years ago, another audio recording circulated where he was heard allegedly swearing at a woman and her brother and threatening them.