South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa will appeal against a court ruling that his crowning of the new Zulu king was unlawful and invalid, his office has said.

"During the course of these legal processes, His Majesty King Misuzulu remains the identified heir to the throne," it added in a statement.

King Misuzulu's claim to the throne was challenged in the Pretoria High Court by his half-brother, Prince Simakade Zulu, who says he is the rightful heir.

The late King Goodwill Zwelithini died in 2021, sparking a vicious power struggle between the brothers for the throne.

King Misuzulu appeared to have won the succession battle - especially after his traditional coronation in August 2022 was followed by a state ceremony two months later, when Mr Ramaphosa gave him a certificate of recognition in front of tens of thousands of people.

On Monday, the Pretoria High Court ruled that the president had not followed proper procedures before recognising King Misuzulu as the monarch.

It said Mr Ramaphosa had failed to comply with the law, which required him to order an investigation into objections to the accession.