King Goodwill Zwelithini, the traditional leader of South Africa’s Zulu nation, has died aged 72 after being hospitalized for more than a monthJOHANNESBURG -- King Goodwill Zwelithini, the traditional leader of South Africa's Zulu nation, has died aged 72 after being hospitalized for more than a month, his family announced Friday. Zwelithini, the eighth Zulu king, reigned for more than 50 years, making him the longest-serving Zulu monarch. As the traditional leader of the Zulu nation, Zwelithini did not hold political office but had considerable influence over the country's estimated 12 million Zulus, the largest ethnic group of South Africa's 60 million people. King Zwelithini was an outspoken critic of the government’s planned land redistribution policy, which could affect large tracts of land belonging to the Zulu nation. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, the Royal House and the Zulu nation in this time of loss.

Source: ABC News March 12, 2021 09:45 UTC