King Misuzulu warned!

PRINCE Simakade's backers have warned King Misuzulu against appointing himself as Ingonyama Trust chairman is tantamount to downgrading himself.

This after King Misuzulu fired Inkosi Thanduyise Mzimela as the chairman of the Ingonyama Trust Board, and appointing himself as the chairman on Monday, 12 February.

Prince Simakade's backer, Prince Thokozani Zulu, said it's dangerous for the King to be the chairman of the board because Zulu culture protocol disallows it.

He said in Zulu culture, the king has the final word. If he is the chairman of the board, he'll be involved in the debates and has to account to Parliament.

"We're warning him about the danger of his decision. We understand he's under pressure from those who've captured him, but if he does that, he'll be demoting himself.

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"If he [the King] sits as chairman of the board, it means he no longer has the final decision. He'll be sitting in debates with board members, and if he's out of order, board members have the right to tell him so," he said.

Prince Thokozani said the in dangerous thing for King Misuzulu to downgrade himself would be that he would downgrade the whole Zulu nation.

"When Ingonyama Trust will be summoned to come before the Parliament, he will lead a board and account and explain everything as a chair.

"He will also account for the things that happened before he took over as a chair of the board," he said.

King Misuzulu shocked the nation when he fired Ingonyama Trust Board chairman, Inkosi Mzimela and his spokesman, Prince Africa Zulu.

Prince Thokozani, who is behind Prince Simakade attempts to dethrone King Misuzulu in court, also accused the King of wanting to benefit from the land under the trust before he's dethroned.

Ingonyama Trust was created by the late Zulu monarch's traditional prime minister and IFP founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi in 1993 to manage the Zulu nation's land.

Since it was established, the King has been the trust's sole trustee. Former judge, Jerome Ngwenya, was appointed as the board chairman by the late King Zwelithini to represent him since it was established.

King Misuzulu fired Ngwenya in 2023 and appointed Inkosi Mzimela.