Zulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini lost another of his close confidants in an assassination that also killed a bodyguard.
The victim is Prince Mbongiseni Milton Muntukaphiwana, also known as MMM, Triple M, Gudlane, Nandos or Durban. He was one of the key figures in the bid of the current King to obtain the throne and secure his power in March of 2021.
He was also one of the leaders of the force that ultimately thwarted a coup d’état by Prince Simakade during the transition period.
Prince Mbongiseni died after receiving fatal gunshot wounds around 6 pm in the area surrounding the town of Nongoma, located in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The Prince died on the scene, while his bodyguard passed away in a Nongoma hospital shortly after his arrival.
The area where the shooting occurred is well known for being highly unstable, with political violence and criminal acts happening every single day.
The Prince was also a councillor of the Zululand district municipality for the IFP party, and for the same faction, he was also a Member of Parliament. He attended the University of Zululand (Ongoye).
This was not the first death within the close circle of the new Zulu King. Only a day after his coronation, Dr Dumisani Khumalo was assassinated in his own home shortly after returning there from the traditional ceremony of the reed dance.
A month later, Cuphisa Ntuli was also shot dead in an incident that also claimed the lives of three more people. Ntuli was the head of one of the groups that call the Osuthu area their home and where most palaces are located.
Neither of these two previous incidents has been resolved, and so far, there have been no arrests for the deaths of these two people, with both families still demanding justice.
Princess Charlene of Monaco, who is very involved with the events in her home country of South Africa, attended the funeral of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini and, during her forced stay in the country for medical reasons, had offered her help to try and mediate between the warring factions that laid claims to the Zulu throne.
