- Regent of the Zulu nation, Queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, died on Thursday.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his condolences to the Zulu royal family.
- Dlamini Zulu, 65, had been hospitalised.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his condolences to the royal family after the death of regent of the Zulu nation, Queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu.
"Personally and on behalf of government and all South Africans, I offer my sincerest condolences to the royal family and the Zulu nation. We extend our thoughts, prayers and hearts once more to the royal family who, in the midst of mourning the passing of the beloved king, are now called upon to bid farewell to the regent in sadly, short succession," Ramaphosa said.
Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi announced her death in a statement on Thursday night.
Dlamini Zulu, 65, had been admitted to hospital on Tuesday.
The ANC also expressed its condolences: "The ANC has learnt with shock and sadness about the untimely passing of Her Majesty, Queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, regent of the Zulu nation. The ANC sends its heartfelt condolences to the royal family, the Zulu nation and the people of South Africa as a whole. We hope that they will find solace in the knowledge that the entire nation shares in their grief. We wish them strength and fortitude during this difficult time."
"It is an unfathomable double blow not only to the royal family, but to the people of this province and the nation in its entirety. Even more shattering is that Her Majesty has left us in the middle of the mourning period for our beloved monarch, King [Goodwill] Zwelithini kaBhekuZulu," KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala said.
In March, Dlamini Zulu was appointed interim ruler of the Zulu nation, pending the installation of the king's successor.
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