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Zulus remember their king - 24th March 2021

These people are Zulus. Zulus live in South Africa. These Zulus are at a memorial for their king. They are remembering King Goodwill Zwelithini.

Zwelithini died 6 days before the memorial. He was king for a long time. He became king in 1968.

Cyril Ramaphosa is the president of South Africa. He spoke at the memorial. He said South Africa was sad about the king.

Cyril Ramaphosa: "It is a difficult day because a huge tree has fallen. [speaks in Zulu] Our nation is indeed in mourning."

King Zwelithini did not control South Africa. But he was important for Zulu people. He helped Zulus to learn about their history.

Gugulethu Chonco: "It is important to me 'cause that is where I found my, my identity as a Zulu woman. This is where I’ve learned about my culture, it's where I also tackled my own personal issues about, like, such as body image issues, low self-esteem. This is where I conquered all that 'cause when you're here nobody cares about your body size or body shape."

The next king will be one of Zwelithini's children. Zwelithini's family will choose the next king. This could take two years.

Zwelithini's memorial was a sad day for Zulus. President Ramaphosa said it was a sad day for South Africa too.

Cyril Ramaphosa: "On behalf of the people of South Africa, I express my deepest condolences to the royal family and to the Zulu nation on this profound loss."