Premature to speak about liquidation of Ithala Bank: Zulu King

AmaZulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini says it is premature to speak about the liquidation of Ithala Bank and the disbandment of the Ingonyama Trust board.

He was speaking at the commemoration of the Battle of Isandlwana in Nquthu, northern KwaZulu-Natal, on Wednesday.

“I am afraid even to say these things that affect the Ingonyama Trust and Ithala Bank. At the moment, I am not in a position to talk about these things as I am busy performing another ritual. It is premature to speak about these issues as I am talking about family issues,” says King Misuzulu.

Some Ithala Bank clients in Durban have voiced their concern and anger over the current dilemma that the bank finds itself in.

Last week, the Reserve Bank’s Prudential Authority filed papers in the Pietermaritzburg High Court for the provisional liquidation of Ithala. Some branches in the Durban CBD are closed.

Battle of Isandlwana

On this day – the 22nd of January in 1879 – the British suffered a massive defeat against AmaZulu at what was the battle of Isandlwana.

The re-enactment of the historic battle is part of the commemoration events.

Vendors selling traditional attire at the commemoration say their products are part of sharing knowledge of the history of the battle.

Vendors Sbusiso Magagula and Lindani Ngobese explain the significance behind some of their traditional products for sale.

“I am selling traditional attire, for animals including Springboks. These are powerful animals and they represent the strength of the Zulu nation. Others are made with Indlozi and Insimba and the skin (of) these animals are worn by people who have ancestral spirit,” says Magagula.

“I created the mountain of Isandlwana to show people what it looks like because there are people who haven’t been it before. I want to make sure that they see it here in front of me,” says Ngobese.

Royal wedding

The King was accompanied by Nomzamo Myeni, whom he was scheduled to marry in a traditional wedding this weekend, but which was called off at the eleventh hour.

This week, the Pietermaritzburg High Court struck off an application by Queen Ntokozo kaMayisela Zulu to interdict the King from marrying another wife in a customary ceremony.

The court ruled that Queen kaMayisela had voluntarily given consent that King MisuZulu could marry another wife if he wished to do so.

The Zulu monarch told the media at the event that he would address issues about the royal household at a later stage.

He would not be drawn into questions around the appointment of a new Zulu prime minister after he fired Thulasizwe Buthelezi last month.