The Inkatha Freedom Party's (IFP's) Zululand District Municipality Mayor Thulasizwe Buthelezi has called King Misizulu ka Zwelithini's spokesperson an African National Congress (ANC) "agent" following the king's disputed health scare, ratcheting up tensions between his party and the ANC over the political divisions in the Zulu Royal House. 

Former IFP leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi's fallout with King Misizulu continued to unravel over the weekend after the former issued a statement on 1 June, saying that the king had taken ill and was in a Eswatini hospital amid fears of poisoning. 

In his statement announcing the king's health status, Buthelezi said he had been told that King Misizulu's induna, identified only as Xaba, had died suddenly after suspicions of poisoning. 

"When His Majesty began to feel unwell, he suspected that he too may have been poisoned," Buthelezi said. 

"He immediately sought out medical treatment in Eswatini. I am informed that His Majesty felt uncomfortable seeking treatment in South Africa, as his parents had both received treatment in South Africa and subsequently died.

"It is understood that His Majesty is under medical care and is doing well. Further information will be conveyed when it becomes available."

However, King Misizulu's spokesperson Prince Africa Zulu rejected Buthelezi's claims, saying over the weekend that the king wished to "once again reassure the nation that he remains in perfect health".

Although Prince Zulu registered the denial via a video, the king hasn't said a word and wasn't featured on the video, raising more questions about his health. 

Without mentioning him by name, Prince Zulu accused Buthelezi of dabbling in misinformation. 

"It appears that there is an orchestrated agenda and a desperate narrative to communicate defamatory and baseless claims of His Majesty’s ill health," he said. King Misuzulu finds himself at the centre of a political tug-of-war as the ANC and IFP see his office as politically important ahead of the 2024 elections. Newly-elected uMvoti Mayor Philani Mavundla, an ANC ally, was recently appointed as advisor to the king.  

In an interview with News24 on 3 June, Zululand mayor Buthelezi labelled Prince Zulu "an agent" and, in a statement, "an ANC project".

"He's clearly trying to discredit Prince Buthelezi. Prince Africa is well known to us. He has no record of serving the royal family; he's a scavenger.

"He amasses gains for himself. We do have information that he's now an agent of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal to try and discredit Prince Buthelezi through his actions," he added about Prince Zulu.

The mayor added that Prince Buthelezi had played the role of traditional prime minister to the Zulu king for more than five decades. 

"We're just warning him [Prince Zulu]. We're issuing a friendly warning. At the end of the day, it won't end well for him," he said. 

Prince Zulu read, but did not respond to, News24's request for comment. His phone rang unanswered. His comment will be added to the story when he responds. 

ANC provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said they would "soon" issue a statement in response to Thulasizwe Buthelezi's comments. 

News24 will update the story with the ANC's comments once their right of reply has been received. 

In a statement, the mayor said: "The emergence of Prince Africa Zulu as a self-styled spin doctor of the royal family spells disaster for the Zulu nation.

"Prince Africa’s persistent trend of undermining the authority and contradicting the public statements of the King’s Prime Minister, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, is a politically calculated ploy sponsored by the ANC in KwaZulu Natal." 

He said the IFP was warning Prince Africa to "get off his high horse and immediately desist from being used as a useful idiot to advance the political programme of the ANC".

"Others before him have attempted to use the role of royal spokesperson to attack Prince Buthelezi and they failed dismally. Prince Africa will also surely fail," the mayor said. 

The IFP national executive committee had a meeting on Monday 3 June and Prince Buthelezi, who is a member, was in attendance. 

It's not clear whether the issue around the king's health came up. 

Thulasizwe Buthelezi, who sits on the NEC, would not be drawn on what was discussed.