DURBAN, South Africa—The Zulu royal rebels have written to President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying that a mediation team led by former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Willies Mchunu was unable to reach an agreement on the royal succession issue and that they are now in the process of naming the tribe’s future king.

They began by thanking Ramaphosa for awarding the late King Goodwill Zwelithini a state funeral in a letter written on February 21 and signed by Prince Mbonisi Zulu and his brother Prince Vulindlela.

They then expressed gratitude to Ramaphosa and his Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, for their assistance.

They said, however, that the intervention failed to achieve its goal due to heightened tensions over succession and political involvement.

“The Zulu Royal Family, represented by the Zulu Royal Council, acknowledges the Presidency’s and Cogta’s engagement in the question of the Zulu King’s Successor by sending a mediation team to mediate.”

“The mediation team was intended to assist the family with regards to the tension that arose over the appointment of the successor to be King after the passing of His Majesty.

“The family feels that the intervention did not fulfill its intended purpose, which was to encourage cooperation and a peaceful setting of the core Zulu Royal family members and for the Zulu Royal Council to be able to fulfill its mandate with minimal disarrangement from external parties, political interference and individuals imposing themselves as Zulu Royal family members.

“The Zulu Royal family feels the intervention was unsuccessful not because of the incompetency of the mediation panel team but because of the high tension and sensitivity of the matter regarding the appointment of the new King.” reads part of the letter.

Specifically, one member of the royal rebels said the Mchunu committee even listened to input from people who are not core members of the royal family.”

They then said they would name the next king next month.