King Misuzulu Forgives Senzo Mchunu Over Palace Raid During Reconciliation Imbizo
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa — King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has publicly forgiven suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu for authorising a police raid on the Mashobeni royal palace, a revelation the monarch shared for the first time during a unity imbizo (gathering) this week.
The announcement was made on Wednesday at a reconciliation imbizo called by the King to report back to the Zulu nation following his recent Supreme Court of Appeal victory, which affirmed his recognition as the legitimate Zulu monarch.
Speaking to thousands of attendees, King Misuzulu said that while the raid had deeply hurt him, he had chosen to let go of resentment.
“When a man is down, he should not be attacked further,” the King said, quoting a Zulu proverb to explain his act of forgiveness.
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The monarch expressed disappointment that such a raid had never occurred during his father’s reign, King Goodwill Zwelithini, and cautioned against rogue elements within the police force.
He emphasized that there are “good police officers” who serve with honour, and “rogue ones” who damage the force’s reputation.
According to Prince Thulani Zulu, spokesperson for the royal family, the incident took place while Minister Mchunu and National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola were meeting the King at Kwakhangelamankengane Palace on a private matter. It was during that meeting that the King learned his Mashobeni palace was being searched by officers accompanied by sniffer dogs.
The King’s gesture of forgiveness comes amid ongoing professional turmoil for Mchunu. In July 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa suspended him from office pending the outcome of a judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of corruption and links to organised crime. The inquiry is also examining claims that Mchunu interfered with police investigations and received financial backing from a controversial businessman.
Despite the controversy, King Misuzulu’s call for forgiveness and unity has been widely interpreted as an attempt to heal divisions within the Zulu royal household and to restore trust between the monarchy and state institutions.
