Rabat – On Tuesday, Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini arrived in Morocco’s southern city Dakhla to take part in the international Crans-Montana Forum. The event kicks off today under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI.
The governor of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, Lamine Benomar, and the President of the Regional Ccouncil, Khattat Ynja, both received the Zulu monarch.
Zwelithini is the most influential monarch in the Southern African region, which has a population of over 12 million people. The Zulu comprise more than one-fifth of the South African population, according to Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).
Zwelithini was born in 1948, and is the descendant of King Shaka Zulu, who founded the Zulu nation in the early 19th century. Zwelithini ascended to the throne in 1968, following the death of his father, King Cyprian Bhekuzulu Solomon.
With an estimated 10-12 million people (located mainly in the Kwazulu-Natal province), the Zulu are the largest South African ethnic group. Consequently, the Zulu language is the most widely spoken native language in South Africa.
Over 1,000 high-level participants from over 100 different countries will take part in the Crans-Montana Forum. The event is being held under the theme, “Africa and South-South Cooperation,” and will run from March 15 to 20.
