King Goodwill Zwelithini continues to receive medical treatment

FILE PICTURE: King Goodwill Zwelithini

FILE PICTURE: King Goodwill Zwelithini

Published Mar 2, 2021

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THABO MAKWAKWA

Durban - THE traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu Nation and King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has confirmed that the king is continuing to receive medical attention.

Speaking through his spokesperson, member of Parliament Liezel Van Der Merwe told the Daily News that the founder of IFP, Buthelezi, received an update and the King continued to receive medical attention from the medical team led by Professor Kennedy Nyamande.

"When Prince Buthelezi last spoke to Professor Nyamande, he informed me that all tests that had been conducted on His Majesty the King yielded very positive results, and he continues to recuperate."

"Prince Buthelezi is awaiting another update from Professor Nyamande. We will communicate further updates to the media once they become available," she said.

The Daily News had reported that several false rumours circulated alleging that the ailing King had died after a battle with diabetes at a private hospital in Kwazulu-Natal, and that this was kept a secret by the monarch.

Buthelezi had dismissed the rumours as false and cruel, but acknowledged that it was understandable considering the respect that so many have for the king.

In his first update about the health and progress of the king, Buthelezi said that His Majesty entered hospital to attend to high glucose levels. Buthelezi made it clear that the king was not frail in any way, as reported by the media.

The reason for the king's admission to the ICU was because his doctors preferred that he be treated in ICU in order to attend to this thoroughly.

It has been a tradition that the Zulu nation's king delivers his opening address before the Premier delivers his State of the Province Address (Sopa). However, this year the king could not do so due to his illness.

Speaking during a recent media briefing, Speaker of the legislature Nontobelo Boyce said the legislature regulations made it possible for Sopa to go ahead on Friday, despite the king's absence.

Boyce announced last week that she had received a letter informing the legislature that, on medical advice, the king was not able to address the house.

“The standing rules of the legislature were crafted such that the business of the legislature is not constrained by unforeseen eventualities, such as the indisposition of a key stakeholder such as the monarch,” she said.

Daily News

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