King Misuzulu kaZwelithini's siblings, who are opposed to his appointment, have accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of sowing division in the AmaZulu royal family.

It follows the president's announcement on Wednesday to seek leave to appeal a North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria decision which invalidated his recognition of King Misuzulu as the head of the Zulu monarchy.

Judge Norman Davis' judgment followed an application by the monarch's half-brother, Prince Simakade kaZwelithini, and his uncle, Prince Mbonisi kaBhekuzulu.

Princes Simakade and Mbonisi claimed that King Misuzulu was not identified in line with Zulu customary laws and customs.

On Monday, Davis specified that his ruling was not about "who should be king of the AmaZulu".

He said, however, that the president had breached section 8 of the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act of 2019 when he handed over a certificate of recognition to King Misuzulu, despite allegations by some of the monarch's relatives that he had not been identified in line with Zulu customs.

Davis instructed Ramaphosa to set up an investigative committee to probe the allegations.

On Wednesday, the president said he had studied the judgment and planned to appeal.

"During the course of these legal processes, His Majesty King Misuzulu remains the identified heir to the throne," Ramaphosa said, according to a previous News24 report.

The president urged members of the AmaZulu royal family to work towards unity and to prioritise the interests of "His Majesty's subjects".

He added it was "vital that all due processes are allowed to reach their natural conclusion without inflaming tensions".

Prince Simakade's side responds

Prince Simakade's spokesperson, Prince Thokozani Zulu, claimed that, by seeking to appeal Davis' ruling, Ramaphosa was taking a side.

Zulu told News24:

The ruling by Davis gives us an opportunity, as a family, to go back to the drawing board and ensure that proper processes are followed for the identification of the king. By appealing, it means Ramaphosa does not want change.

"We do not believe he is being genuine when he says he wants the royal family to unite because his appeal is against our call for a meeting to sit down and properly identify the king of the Zulu nation."

Zulu said they would consult their lawyers to determine the best way to respond to Ramaphosa's planned leave to appeal.

King Misuzulu thanks Ramaphosa

At the same time, King Misuzulu's office welcomed the president's "proactive steps" in appealing the ruling.

In a statement on Wednesday, his spokesperson, Prince Africa Zulu, said:

We thank President Ramaphosa for clarifying and affirming that His Majesty King Misuzulu remains the identified heir to the throne.

"His Majesty is on the throne and will continue to dedicate himself to work towards the betterment of all the people of KwaZulu-Natal and the rest of South Africa, where his subjects are settled, improving the lives of his subjects, and strengthening and prioritising ubukhosi buKaZulu within the Republic of South Africa today."

Zulu added that Ramaphosa's action was a sign of commitment towards the stability of traditional leadership in South Africa.