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For Sihle Mavuso 
3h ago
Durban – Five days after succumbing to the complications of Covid-19, the late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini was buried in a burial that was marked by centuries-old traditions that apply when a king is entombed.
The frankly speaking king was buried in a secret funeral that began before midnight and ended early today.
The location of the king’s tomb remains a secret, known only to royalty and a few people who attended his burial, which took place behind closed doors.
The late king passed away on Friday at age 72, leaving behind six queens and 28 princes and princesses. He was on the throne for nearly 50 years, making him the longest reigning monarch in the nation’s 205-year history.
Despite fears that Covid-19 would slow down the funeral procession, the king was buried in a dignified manner, worthy of a king who led one of the most revered monarchies in the world.
The king’s last journey to his burial site began around 1 p.m. Wednesday when his body was removed from a morgue located in the central business district of the small town of Nongoma to the Kwakhethomthandayo Palace, a few kilometers away.
Video: Sihle Mavuso
In a solemn procession, his body was escorted by Zulu regiments dressed in traditional Zulu garb and arrived at the palace at 4.30 pm on Wednesday.
The journey from the morgue to the palace took about two hours.
As the regiments chanted traditional Zulu hymns, escorted the body and moved slowly, people lined the main road leading to the palace, paying their last respects to their beloved king.
Minutes before the body reached the palace, everything stopped and there was complete silence.
Before the convoy reached the last stretch of the road leading to the palace, heavy rains fell. Zulu culture expert, historian, and former Ukhozi FM maskandi host Ngizwe Mchunu told Independent Media that the late King’s coronation on December 3, 1971, also saw a heavy downpour. Mchunu said this was significant, as another downpour on the day he was to be buried means good luck and that he was the chosen one.
“Rain, not floods, means good luck and a good harvest. In this case, the rain means that he was the chosen one, no mistake was made when he took the throne, as the right heir was given, ”said Mchunu.
Despite the downpour, the regiments and people who gathered around the palace were not intimidated as they received the body. They waited patiently while royals and the traditional prime minister of the Zulu nation performed some rituals.
The rituals led by Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the traditional prime minister and the chief princes of the Zulu nation, lasted about 40 minutes. It was done behind a thick wall of Zulu regiments who were determined to keep the rituals out of public view.
Since the king’s burial would be secret and performed only by men, according to his wish, some rituals are kept private. All cameras, including those on news channels, were ordered to be turned off with immediate effect. Taking pictures and videos with cell phones was also prohibited and this was strictly enforced.
In the palace, after some Zulu rituals, the body of the king was taken to a tent where the royals waited. Outside that marquee, the maidens and women sang traditional songs and danced in a way that spoke of the grieving process.
After rituals and tradition were carried out on the palace grounds, the king’s body was transferred to him by a few selected Zulu princes and warriors. Hours later, he was secretly entombed, marking the end of an era.
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