Phuzekhemisi at it - again

LEGENDARY maskandi artist Phuzekhemisi has released an 18th album that just might add to his long list of enemies.

The album, titled Bayede Zulu, was released on Friday.

"I titled it Bayede Zulu because my father told me that there is only one Zulu king and that is King Goodwill Zwelithini.

"Zulu's will never have another king, except His Majesty," he said.

Phuzekhemisi was born and bred in Mkhomazi on KwaZulu-Natal's South Coast, where Prince Melizwe Dlamini is regarded as a king.

Dlamini made headlines when he applied to the commission on traditional leadership disputes and insisted on being accorded the same status as Zwelithini.

Dlamini claims his Nhlangwini kingdom is independent and has the same powers as Zwelithini's and so he needs to be accorded the status of Ingonyama.

The commission has not yet made its ruling on the matter.

Dlamini's life has not been without controversy.

In June this year his house was sold at auction for R3.2-million after he allegedly failed to pay his monthly bond of R30000.

Phuzekhemisi says: "No matter who says what, we have one king and that will never change.

"I am not ashamed of that and neither am I scared of anyone.

"I have many enemies, some of whom are high-profile politicians who believe my music is against their political parties, but as an artist I am entitled to express myself through music," he said.

A track on Phuzekhemisi's latest album - Umfana weNdiya - is set to be even more controversial.

"While working in a factory in the 1980s I had a problem with this Indian boy who would badmouth me so much I lost my job.

"I have learnt that Indians still do this. I can not keep quiet while this continues.

"In the song I caution Indians to stop doing this because people work for their families," he said.