Zulu coronation: Crowds gather in South Africa for king Misuzulu coronation

Source BBC

Celebratory songs, chants and dance have filled the main stadium in South Africa’s coastal city of Durban ahead of the historic coronation of the Zulu king.

King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini, 49, will be formally acknowledged as a monarch.

It will be the first Zulu coronation since South Africa became a democracy in 1994.

The event takes place days after the US warned of a risk of a terror attack in the country.

But Police Minister Bheki Cele has said the threats won’t impact the ceremony at the Moses Mabhida Stadium where several local and foreign dignitaries are among tens of thousands of people attending.

The event will mark a lot of firsts for South Africa.

King Zwelithini will be formally acknowledged as monarch by President Cyril Ramaphosa – the first time a black president has been involved in a Zulu coronation.

It will be the first Zulu coronation since the country became a democracy in 1994. It will also finally put an end to the fierce family feud that dogged his succession to the throne – an embarrassing battle played out in public.

Who is Misuzulu ka Zwelithini?

• Born on 23 September 1974 in Kwahlabisa
• Educated privately at St Charles College in Pietermaritzburg
• Studied at Jacksonville University in the US, where he lived for several years
• Married to two wives, with three sons