Zulu king denies praising apartheid

A spokesman for the Zulu royal household in South Africa has denied that King Goodwill Zwelithini praised the former apartheid regime at celebrations held at the weekend to mark his 44 years on the throne (see 10:23 post).  Prince Thulani Zulu told South Africa’s News24 site that the monarch had been quoted out of context. […]

A spokesman for the Zulu royal household in South Africa has denied that King Goodwill Zwelithini praised the former apartheid regime at celebrations held at the weekend to mark his 44 years on the throne (see 10:23 post). 
Prince Thulani Zulu told South Africa’s News24 site that the monarch had been quoted out of context.
“He [the king] said he was born in 1948 and he had lived through apartheid and he knew the good and the bad of the system.
“He said there were good and bad things that were done during apartheid and he was reflecting [on] some of those issues,” Prince Thulani is quoted as saying. The prince said that because King Zwelithini was born in that era, he was able to reflect on both the apartheid and democratic governments.
“The king also speaks out when there is good and bad in the democratic government because it too is not perfect.”
The prince said the monarch was merely reflecting on his own experiences, News24 reports.