Is this the end of Buthelezi and the IFP’s hold over the Zulu monarchy?

[View in browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( M&G Mornings | Tue 04 Jul   [Ron Derby] For as long as I can remember, Mangosuthu Buthelezi has had the ear of the Zulu monarch. To be exact, he has had it for 69 of the just over 200 years that the Zulu Kingdom was first established in 1816. King Cyprian Bhekuzulu appointed the 94-year old Buthelezi traditional prime minister in 1954. He has served this role through all the tumultuous years of the early apartheid experiment, the arrests of Nelson Mandela, the banning and unbanning of the ANC and the near civil war in Kwazulu-Natal ahead of the 1994 elections. Now 30 years on and with a relatively new king in King Misuzulu kaZwelithini at the helm, his hold at the very least seems challenged. One need not look any further than this weekend’s contradicting statements around the health of the king. This week, Paddy Harper and only his fashion, will look into the relationship between Buthelezi and the party he founded in 1975, IFP, and the Zulu Monarch. It’s an important conversation as the country gears up for the 2024 general elections where the party has been gaining ground on the ANC in Kwazulu-Natal. It’s just another interesting week in a rapidly changing story of South Africa. Ron Derby | Editor-in-Chief [@Ronderby]( [john_steenhuisen_3088_DV]( [Date set for DA ‘moonshot pact’ convention]( Seven opposition parties will agree on the rules of engagement to unseat the ANC [// Read more]( Articles labelled as Premium are only available to subscribers. [CLICK HERE]( to subscribe Already a subscriber? [SIGN IN HERE]( [Untitled design (9)]( [Protestors set trucks alight on Durban highway]( Last month, protestors angry over constant electricity blackouts torched a car This article is only available to subscribers. [View subscription options]( If you are already a subscriber, login here. [// Read more]( [IMG_9943]( [Gag order against amaBhungane set aside]( It was an abuse of the court process to grant a gagging order to the Moti Group, justice Ronald Sutherland said [// Read more]( Recommended Reads [Calls for exploration of natural gas in revised integrated resource plan]( Minister Gwede Mantashe says the revised IRP draft will be submitted to the cabinet between July and September [// Read more]( [Petrol price set to drop from 5 July]( The price of diesel is, however, set to increase, further fuelling inflation [// Read more]( [NAF: The hub of creative talent in SA]( The festival provided a space for artists to meet and mingle [// Read more]( [Is South Africa’s agricultural trade surplus beginning to flower?]( The widening trade surplus is mainly a result of a notable decline in import value, not necessarily a growth in exports [// Read more]( [Haval’s H6 GT is a motoring star rising in the East]( Haval’s H6 GT SUV might have its niggles but it offers great performance and value for money [// Read more]( Pic of the day [Met Office Confirms June 2023 Was UK's Hottest On Record] A general view of low water levels at Woodhead Reservoir which is operated by United Utilities in Glossop, England. The Met Office has confirmed that it was the hottest June on record for the UK with an average monthly temperature of 15.8C. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Mail & Guardian Media LTD · 25 Owl St · Braamfontein · Johannesburg, Gauteng 2001 · South Africa