Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has once again dismissed Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi from his role as Traditional Prime Minister of the Zulu Nation.
The latest removal comes less than a year after the King reinstated Buthelezi to the prestigious post in December 2025.
A turbulent relationship
Buthelezi, who also serves as KZN’s MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and sits on the IFP’s national executive, was first appointed in early 2024. He was then abruptly fired in December 2024, with the King citing “conduct inconsistent with the values of the monarchy”.
Buthelezi said at the time he learned of his dismissal via WhatsApp from a prince, not directly from the King.
Despite the firing, the King brought him back on 2 December 2025 during a swearing-in ceremony at eMashobeni Royal Palace in Pongola. His mandate was to provide “executive leadership, structural coordination, and administrative oversight” of the Zulu Kingdom. The King also created a Prime Minister’s Executive Council, PMEC, to strengthen governance — with all decisions subject to the King’s final authority.
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Why the tension?
Sources say pressure had been mounting on the King to remove Buthelezi due to concerns he was mixing his government and royal roles. In 2026 the DA and MK Party also questioned his use of R19 million in public funds to buy cars for traditional leaders, and his plan to have the Ingonyama Trust Board report to a government minister instead of the King.
The King has since turned to former Ingonyama Trust chair Jerome Ngwenya for advice on trust matters.
What happens now
The Royal House is expected to announce a new Traditional Prime Minister in due course. Cultural experts have warned that the repeated hirings and firings point to instability in the running of the kingdom.
Buthelezi, who succeeded the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, played a key role in the King’s coronation but has faced repeated scrutiny over actions seen as misaligned with the throne.