The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has ruled in favour of President Cyril Ramaphosa and King MisuZulu kaZwelithini, confirming that the president’s recognition of King MisuZulu as the rightful Zulu monarch was lawful.
This decision overturns the December 2023 Gauteng High Court judgment, which had previously declared the recognition invalid and ordered the matter to be reconsidered.
The SCA’s judgment, delivered in Bloemfontein on Friday, 3 October 2025 at 10:00 (SAST), brings clarity to one of South Africa’s most high-profile traditional leadership disputes in recent years.
In the matter, officially cited as President of the Republic of South Africa and Others v Prince Mbonisi Bhekithhemba kaBhekuzulu and Others, the court upheld the appeal by President Ramaphosa and King MisuZulu, while dismissing the application brought by Prince Mbonisi kaBhekuzulu, a half-brother to the King.
Deputy President of the SCA, Justice Zondi, delivered the ruling, setting aside the High Court’s earlier order and replacing it with one dismissing Prince Mbonisi’s challenge with costs.
The court also ruled that the applicants must pay the legal expenses incurred by King MisuZulu’s legal team, including the cost of two senior counsels.
“The first and second appellants’ appeal is upheld,” the SCA’s judgment reads.
“The order of the High Court is set aside and replaced with an order dismissing the first applicant’s application.”
This means that King MisuZulu remains the legally recognised monarch of the Zulu nation, and the presidential certificate of recognition issued by Ramaphosa in 2022 remains valid.
The dispute began shortly after the death of King Goodwill Zwelithini in March 2021. Following the passing of his wife, Queen Regent Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu, King MisuZulu was announced as the successor — a move challenged by some royal family members who supported Prince Simakade kaZwelithini.
The challengers claimed that proper customary procedures were not followed when identifying MisuZulu as king and that the royal family should have been reconsulted.
However, the SCA found no legal or constitutional grounds to invalidate Ramaphosa’s recognition.
Legal experts say the judgment effectively settles the kingship issue unless taken further to the Constitutional Court, although such an appeal would need special permission.
The Presidency welcomed the outcome, saying it “reaffirms the rule of law and the integrity of South Africa’s constitutional framework in matters of traditional leadership.”
Meanwhile, supporters of King MisuZulu in KwaZulu-Natal celebrated outside the royal palace at Nongoma, calling the ruling “a victory for the Zulu nation.”
The SCA’s decision brings to an end nearly four years of legal battles over the Zulu throne — Africa’s most influential monarchy, representing millions of people in South Africa and beyond.