King of the Zulu Nation of South Africa, Goodwill Zwelithini, has died at the age of 72

King Zwelithini had been receiving treatment for diabetes at a hospital in KwaZulu Natal.

The Zulu Nation is the largest ethnic group in South Africa.

Goodwill Zwelithini was named as successor to the throne when was 20 back in 1968. He reigned as king for five decades, had six wives and fathered 28 children.

FAMILY RELATED TO SHAKA, KING OF THE ZULUS

While he will be accorded a state funeral, his body now lies in state in the royal palace in Nongoma.

King Zwelithini was a direct descendent of King Cetshwayo, whose army took on the British in 1879. Goodwill Zwelithini’s great-great grandfather, King Mpande, was the half-brother of the Zulu King Shaka.

 Born on July 14, 1948 in KwaNongoma in KwaZulu-Natal to King Cyprian Bhekizulu kaSolomon and his second wife Queen Thomo, King Zwelithini was educated at the Bhekuzulu College of Chiefs.

Heading the 12 million people who form the Zulu Nation, King Zwelithini’s royal reign is largely ceremonial.

He did butt heads with the African National Congress (ANC), which forms the South African government and viewed him suspiciously as he developed a cordial relationship with apartheid governments.

King Zwelithini once said the ANC had undone the good management of the economy by these governments and that their administration had taken the country backwards. The King was outspoken in his condemnation of the South African government’s planned land redistribution policy.

“His Majesty will be remembered as a much-loved visionary monarch who made an important contribution to cultural identity, national unity and economic development in KwaZulu-Natal and through this to the development of our country as a whole,”  said President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa.

The ANC issued a release that read: “King Zwelithini was a courageous leader, who did not only care about the well being of his people but rather the nation as a whole. He took a centre stage in calling for an end to politically motivated killings which had resulted in the unwarranted loss of innocent lives, especially in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces.

“During intense political violence between the ANC and IFP, King Zwelithini was seen criss-crossing South Africa, encouraging people to resort to peaceful and non-violent means of resolving conflict.

In 2019, King Zwelithini, who advocated for maintaining African cultural traditions said, “Not all solutions will come from politicians and experts. Traditional leadership is the pillar of the African continent and mustn’t be sidelined.”