Mbabane- His Majesty King Mswati III did not summon Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini to Eswatini for a royal reprimand, according to the King’s official spokesperson, Percy Simelane, who has dismissed an online-media report claiming that the two monarchs met over concerns about the Zulu King’s conduct.
Responding to Independent News in an interview on October 5, 2026, Simelane said he had no reason to believe that King Mswati summoned his nephew to “call him to order” over anything.
“I have no reasons to believe King Mswati summoned the Zulu King to reprimand him for anything,” said Simelane.
The denial follows an online-media report published on October 4, which claimed that King Mswati had summoned King Misuzulu for a royal reprimand following a series of incidents involving the Zulu monarch that had allegedly played out in the public domain.
The report claimed that sources within the Zulu Royal Residence at Mashobeni Palace had said King Mswati summoned King Misuzulu to “call him to order” following concerns over his recent conduct.
It further alleged that senior Princes within the Zulu Royal Family had sought the intervention of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to caution King Misuzulu over actions they believed were bringing disrepute to the Zulu Kingdom.
However, Simelane said his understanding of King Misuzulu’s visit to Eswatini was completely different.
“I happened to be at Ludzidzini where the King was when a senior protocol officer reported that he needed to squeeze-in a KwaZulu emissary who had come to report that the Zulu King was to be in the country as usual to attend occasions where the Swati King would be officiating,” he said.
According to Simelane, the protocol officer was reporting the matter to Chief Officer Mgwagwa Gamedze, who was not aware of the planned visit.
“The protocol officer was reporting to the Chief Officer, Mgwagwa Gamedze, who was not aware and the plan was to make the King aware as he had returned home from the USA a few hours earlier on Wednesday night,” he said.
Simelane said this was what he witnessed at Ludzidzini and that it did not support the claim that King Misuzulu had been summoned for a reprimand.
“I therefore have no reasons to buy into the summons story,” he said.
The online-media report had linked King Misuzulu’s recent presence in Eswatini to the alleged summons, after he was seen alongside King Mswati during YKK Southern Africa’s 50th anniversary celebrations at the Ezulwini Palazzo on October 1, 2026.
However, Simelane said the Zulu King’s visit was in keeping with his usual attendance at occasions where King Mswati would be officiating.
The report also cited several allegations concerning King Misuzulu, including claims about his conduct at public events and videos circulating on social media.
Among the allegations were claims that the Zulu King had appeared intoxicated during recent Umhlanga events and at the September 24 commemoration of King Shaka Zulu Ilembe.
The report further referred to videos in which King Misuzulu was allegedly seen handling a firearm in front of a crowd, including children, during his birthday celebrations, while another video allegedly showed him handling a knife.
It also referred to an earlier video in which the King was allegedly heard insulting his third wife, Queen Nomzamo Myeni, and Shembe Church leader Mduduzi Shembe.
The report alleged that King Misuzulu had also said he secured the Zulu throne through witchcraft.
These claims were presented in the online report as part of the alleged reasons behind the intervention of King Mswati.
Simelane, however, has rejected the central claim linking King Misuzulu’s visit to a royal reprimand.
The two monarchs were among the dignitaries at the YKK Southern Africa Golden Jubilee celebrations, which marked 50 years of the company’s operations in Eswatini. King Misuzulu’s presence at the event was also reported alongside members of the Eswatini Royal Family and senior government and business leaders.
The latest clarification from the King’s spokesperson therefore places the focus on the protocol arrangements surrounding King Misuzulu’s visit, rather than an alleged royal summons.
Simelane maintains that, based on what he personally witnessed at Ludzidzini, he has no reason to accept the claim that King Mswati summoned the Zulu monarch to reprimand him.
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