Tens of thousands of people dressed in vibrant regalia celebrated the crowning of the new king.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of people dressed in vibrant regalia flocked to a sizeable soccer stadium in the coastal city of Durban to celebrate the Zulu king of South Africa's official coronation.

The certificate recognizing the new head of the richest and most powerful traditional monarchy in the country was to be given by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Misuzulu Zulu succeeded to the throne that his late father, Goodwill Zwelithini, had occupied before passing away in March 2021 from complications related to diabetes.

The crowning, which is the first that South Africa has seen in more than 50 years, comes after a year of acrimonious disputes over the royal succession that have reached the courts.

Additionally, the occasion that officially marks the king's accession to the throne takes place against a backdrop of increased security following a warning from the US embassy about a potential terror attack in the nation's largest city, Johannesburg.

The monarchs have significant moral influence over the more than 11 million Zulus, who make up nearly a fifth of South Africa's population, despite the fact that the title of king does not confer executive power.

Zulu kings are descended from King Shaka, a figure revered today for uniting a sizable portion of the country and leading the Resistance against British colonizers.