The nation pays tribute to late Zulu queen regent
The queen fought a good fight. May her soul rest in peace," said leader of the House of Traditional Leaders in Mpumalanga, Inkhosi Sandile Ngomane.
Tributes continue to pour in for the sudden passing of eSwatini-born princess, the Zulu queen regent, Her Majesty Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu.
The leader of the House of Traditional Leaders in Mpumalanga, Inkhosi Sandile Ngomane, said the traditional leaders in the province were shocked and saddened by the dark cloud hovering on the Zulu Kingdom, one of the great kingdoms in the country.
“We wish to extend words of condolences to both the Kingdom of eSwatini and the Zulu Kingdom for this loss. We also wish to convey words of condolences to families, relatives, friends and the entire nation. Our prayer is for the Lord God Almighty to be with the families, to give them strength and to comfort them in this grieving period. We wish all those close to the queen to read and mediate on the book of Lamentations 34:18 which says, ‘The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit’.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa paid tribute. On Twitter, he wrote, “Personally and on behalf of government and all South Africans, I offer my sincerest condolences to the royal family and the Zulu nation. We extend our thoughts, prayers and hearts once more to the royal family who, in the midst of mourning the passing of the beloved king, are now called to bid farewell to the regent in sadly short succession.”
Dlamini-Zulu was born to the Kingdom of eSwatini’s royal family in 1956. Her father was the late King Sobhuza II. Her brother is the current ruler of eSwatini, King Mswati III. She was engaged to the late King Goodwill Zwelithini in 1973. She became the Zulu monarch’s third wife when they wed four years later. As part of their marriage agreement and due to her royal status, Dlamini-Zulu was given the title of “Great Queen” out of the king’s six wives.
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In a media statement, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the traditional prime minister of the Zulu nation, said, “This has taken us by surprise and left us utterly bereft. It is true that the Lord alone knows the days that He has allotted to each one of us. “On behalf of the royal family, I wish to assure the nation that while we are all rightly grief-stricken, there will be no leadership vacuum in the Zulu nation. “Further announcements on Her Majesty’s funeral and the necessary arrangements will be made in due course. May Her Majesty, our regent, rest in peace,” said Buthelezi.
