Goodwill Zwelithini

Goodwill Zwelithini, born on July 14, 1948, ascended to the throne as the King of the Zulu Nation in 1968, following the death of his father, King Cyprian Bhekuzulu. At just twenty years old, he faced significant challenges, including a three-year period of refuge in the Transkei province of South Africa to evade assassination attempts. During this time, Prince Israel Mcwayizeni served as regent from 1968 to 1971.

On December 3, 1971, Zwelithini was formally installed as the eighth monarch of the Zulus in a grand ceremony held in Nongoma, which attracted an impressive audience of twenty thousand attendees. This event marked the beginning of his reign, which would last for over five decades.

King Goodwill Zwelithini passed away on March 12, 2021, at the age of seventy-two. His health had been in decline due to diabetes-related complications, and during the preparations for his funeral, it was announced by his traditional prime minister, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, that he had succumbed to COVID-19.