admin A video appearing to show AmaZulu King, Misuzulu kaZwelithini verbally abusing one of his wives has reignited debate about the role of traditional leaders in a constitutional democracy.
The leaked footage of the incident, reportedly recorded by the Queen, has also raised questions about whether she was right to document what happened and bring it into the public domain.
Cultural expert Professor Mqondisi Mzolo says while monarchs hold an important place in South African society, they too remain bound by the country’s laws and constitution.
He said it is impossible for one group of people to be exempt from the Constitution and said they must remember that Kings, Monarchs and Queens in South Africa are not absolute monarchs, unlike those in Eswatini or countries such as Morocco or, to some extent, Lesotho.
Mzolo says traditional monarchs operate within a constitutional framework that makes them ‘sub-national monarchs’, meaning they are equally subject to the rule of law as any other citizen, saying they are also subject to the Constitution’s provisions and expected to respect the rights of others.
