Princess Thembi Ndlovu, the sister of the late Zulu monarch, says only God knows who will succeed King Goodwill Zwelithini and that it is likely that the king himself did not know.
The princess honoured her brother in a moving speech at his memorial service on Thursday, saying King Zwelithini was protective of his family.
“People like asking who will be the successor but I want to say that only God knows that, even the king is likely to not have known.
“He was brave but stubborn too, even when he was sick you could not tell that he is not feeling well, he would hide it in his voice because he was very protective,” said Princess Thembi.
She also asked the royal family to be united as the king was a person of peace.
“He used to bring us together, therefore I’d ask that his gains are not reversed. I ask that we maintain the respect, even here at the royal house.”
She also thanked the amabutho for showing honour to their king despite Covid-19 limitations, including those who could not make it to KwaNongoma and are mourning the king in different corners of the country.
Princess Thembi called on premier Sihle Zikalala and his cabinet to “continue” treating the royal household as they did when King Zwelithini was alive.
“Premier, I ask that things don’t change now that the king is gone. I ask that the queens and his children do not suffer, or be in need, because that would mean the support that was given to the king would have been to fool him,” she added.
