Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini treated for suspected poisoning - aide

South Africa's Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini is being treated successful infirmary for suspected poisoning, his accepted premier curate has said.

The king sought aesculapian attraction successful Eswatini arsenic helium is uncomfortable with seeking attraction successful South Africa, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi added.

This follows the abrupt decease of 1 of his elder advisers, besides of suspected poisoning, Chief Buthelezi said.

However, the king's authoritative spokesperson said helium was successful "perfect health".

The monarch was presently not successful hospital, and "unnecessary panic" should not beryllium created, Prince Africa Zulu said, successful what appeared to beryllium an indirect notation to Chief Buthelezi's statement.

King Misuzulu was crowned successful beforehand of thousands of his subjects past October.

But a vicious powerfulness conflict has been raging wrong the royal household implicit the 48-year-old's accession, and tensions person besides precocious surfaced betwixt the monarch and Chief Buthelezi.

The Zulu king does not person ceremonial governmental powerfulness and the monarch's relation wrong broader South African nine is mostly ceremonial, but helium remains hugely influential with a yearly government-funded fund of respective cardinal dollars.

A faction wrong the household is challenging his assertion to the throne successful court, insisting that helium is not the rightful heir of his precocious father, King Goodwill Zwelithini.

They importune that different lad of the precocious king, Prince Simakade, should beryllium the monarch.

King Zwelithini had six wives and astatine slightest 26 children.

King Zwelithini's volition has besides been challenged successful tribunal by his archetypal wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini-Zulu, and her 2 daughters.

A tribunal dismissed their lawsuit past year, but they said they would entreaty against the ruling.

There is nary proposition that immoderate members of the royal household are down King Misuzulu's suspected poisoning.

The South African constabulary person not yet commented connected the claims.

In his statement, Chief Buthelezi said King Misuzulu's elder aide, Douglas Xaba who stayed with him, "passed connected rather abruptly and that determination are suspicions that helium was poisoned".

"When His Majesty began to consciousness unwell, helium suspected that helium excessively whitethorn person been poisoned.

"He instantly sought retired aesculapian attraction successful Eswatini. I americium informed that His Majesty felt uncomfortable seeking attraction successful South Africa, arsenic his parents had some received attraction successful South Africa and subsequently died," Chief Buthelezi said.

Chief Buthelezi added that portion the king had precocious appointed Prince Africa arsenic the caput of communications successful his office, he, arsenic the accepted premier minister, had an work to pass the Zulu federation of "this worrying situation".

"Our contiguous interest is the King's wellbeing. We arsenic the Zulu federation commune for His Majesty's afloat and swift recovery.

"Should determination beryllium immoderate crushed for further investigations, that volition beryllium attended to by the authorities," Chief Buthelezi said.

In his consequent statement, Prince Africa said determination appeared to beryllium an "orchestrated docket and a hopeless communicative to pass defamatory and baseless claims" that the king is unwell.

"Ultimately, this creates unnecessary panic and perceptions of instability successful the Royal Crown," helium added.

However, Prince Africa confirmed the monarch had undergone a aesculapian introspection successful Eswatini portion visiting his uncle, King Mswati III.

The checks were carried retired due to the fact that of "our existent times of pandemics specified arsenic Covid-19 and different unsafe ailments", and besides "to mitigate against immoderate untimely eventuality, fixed the reports of Mr Xaba's abrupt passing".

King Misuzulu's accession was abrupt and unexpected, and helium has been astatine the centre of palace intrigue.

His begetter died during the Covid pandemic successful March 2021 of diabetes-related complications.

He was the Zulu nation's longest-reigning monarch, having served connected the throne for astir 50 years.

King Misuzulu's mother, Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu, past became the regent, but she died a period later.

She was the sister of Eswatini's King Mswati III - Africa's lone implicit monarch.

At the time, Chief Buthelezi dismissed rumours that she had been poisoned.

He had backed King Misuzulu's accession to the throne, but caller reports suggested that crisp differences had emerged betwixt the two.

It followed a quality implicit the chairmanship of the Ingonyama Trust Board, which manages immense tracts of onshore controlled by the monarch.

The king appointed Chief Thanduyise Mzimela arsenic its chairman, but this was opposed by Chief Buthelezi who felt helium was inexperienced for the post, according to section media.