SOUTH African police arrested nine people yesterday for an attack on the Zulu king's palace in which one of his wives was wounded and a niece was hacked to death.
The suspects were arrested at a workers' hostel in KwaMashu, near the Indian Ocean port city of Durban, according to the provincial police commissioner, Mr Chris Serfontein. The township is a stronghold of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) of the Zulu leader, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
"The arrests were made in the early hours of this morning when the detectives swooped on the KwaMashu hostel and arrested nine men. Two firearms were also recovered," Mr Serfontein said.
They will appear in court on Monday on charges of murder and attempted murder.
The hostel is near the Mbelebeleni Palace, where assailants armed with guns, wooden clubs and spears attacked one of King Goodwill Zwelithini's five wives, Queen Buhle MaMathe Zulu, and her daughter, Princess Sibusile Zulu, on April 25th.
The mutilated body of Princess Nonhlanhla Zulu, the king's niece, was found two days later on a soccer pitch about a kilometre from the palace.
President Nelson Mandela visited the queen and Princess Sihusile in hospital yesterday and said drastic action was needed to halt the violence in KwaZuluNatal province.
"The attack on the royal family is an indication of the extent to which people in this province have completely forgotten they are human beings," he said.
"I have said, let us use our force, and said the best solution is a political solution, but my hand is being forced, and we cannot allow a thing of this nature to happen again. Not only to the royal family, but to any human being in this province.
Mr Mandela's African National Congress (ANC) has blamed the IFP for the attack but the party has rejected the accusation, and Chief Buthelezi, the king's uncle, has condemned the violence.
Chief Buthelezi fell out with the king, figurehead of the Zulu nation, a few years ago, accusing him of allying himself to Mr Mandela, his main rival.
ANC and Inkatha supporters have battled for supremacy across much of KwaZulu Natal province for a decade during which 14,000 people have been killed.
In the latest bloodshed, one person was killed and 21 were wounded when gunmen ambushed a pre election march by Inkatha supporters on Wednesday.
Police said the Inkatha supporters returned fire when the unidentified gunmen shot at the rally for municipal polls scheduled for KwaZulu Natal later this month.
"At least 22 people who were wounded yesterday were hospitalised. One person died during the night," a police spokesman said yesterday.