King Misuzulu to be first monarch to deliver main address at AfriForum event

The annual King Dinuzulu Legacy commemoration event organised by AfriForum will for the first time be addressed by a reigning Zulu king on Friday. 

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini will deliver the main address in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, where King Dinuzulu died 111 years ago. 

Traditional prime minister of the Zulu nation Thulasizwe Buthelezi said: “This event is organised by AfriForum and seeks to honour the memory of King Dinuzulu who spent the last years of his life at Uitkyk farm, Middelburg. 

“This event will also strengthen the bonds of cultural collaboration between the Zulu nation and the Afrikaners.” 

During last year’s commemoration, Barend Uys, head of intercultural relations and co-operation at AfriForum, said good relations between cultural communities based on mutual recognition and respect were critical to ensure a free, safe and prosperous future for the children of all cultural communities in Southern Africa. 

“There are many examples of good relations between cultural communities in history. We must heed this wisdom from the past as the this generation takes the decision to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors in this respect,” Uys said.

“AfriForum is, through collaborative projects such as this, building a network of cultural communities that can support each other in the quest to live as cultural communities at the southern tip of Africa.”

The monarch is continuing in his father’s footsteps to build strong relations with the Afrikaner community. 

Towards the end of his life, the late King Goodwill Zwelithini touted joining forces with Afrikaner rights group to oppose land expropriation without compensation.

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