South Africa's Zulu nation celebrate new king

Thousands of South African Zulus celebrated the coronation of their new king in a rural part of the KwaZulu-Natal province on Saturday. Misuzulu ka Zwelithini was crowned a year and a half after his father Goodwill Zwelithini passed away from Covid-19.

A controversial ceremony as some members of the royal family reject his nomination preferring other siblings out of the late king's 28 children.

"I know that you are aware of the state of the royal family in recent times. Whatever you hear in the media, and the comments being made by those disputing the throne, do not listen to them.", saidMisuzulu ka Zwelithini.

The traditional rites included sacred moments such as the lion hunt and the entrance to the cattle Kraal a sacred place where the soon-to-be king is presented to ancestors.

President Cyril Ramaphosa recognized the 47-year-old king as heir to the throne and should later in the year certify the crowning. If the king of the country's largest ethnic group has no executive power, he holds great moral authority over its more than 11 million people.