King Misuzulu KaZwelithini, the king of the Zulu nation, has finally wed Nomzamo Myeni of Jozini as his fourth queen, almost a year after the mooted marriage stalled.
The king married Myeni at the KwaKhangela royal palace in Nongoma on Sunday, before thousands of well-wishers, including EFF leader Julius Malema, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, KwaZulu-Natal MECs, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, and Thembeni KaMadlopha Mthethwa from the IFP.
Later in the night, the king revealed that his heart guided his decision to marry Myeni, even though she had children.
“I have heard murmurs that Myeni has got kids [from previous relationships] and other stuff. If you love a person you just love, I will follow my heart.
“If the Mdlombas [Myenis] gave me a closed book with issues, I will fix it myself without any worries,” the king said.
Also in attendance in their large numbers were Zulu regiments, the king’s first line of defense.
The marriage started with umkhehlo (a traditional Zulu engagement in Jozini) on Friday.
Member of the Shembe Church
Since the king is a member of the Shembe Church, which reveres Saturday as the holy Sabbath day, they skipped it and concluded the marriage on Sunday.
It was the first time the king has officially and fully wed a queen since taking power in 2021.
Although he is legally married to Queen Ntokozo Mayisela, Queen Nozizwe Mulela of Eswatini, and Princess Sihle Mdhluli, their relationship has not gone beyond the lobola stage.
As a devoted member of the Shembe church, King Misuzulu swore to leave Myeni only if she had cheated, leaving well-wishers stunned.
“I will not leave this wife no matter what can happen to her, only if I, as her lawful husband, had found her in bed with another man.”
The smiling king took the vows, much to the jubilation of Myeni, who smiled sheepishly before him.
Royal family divided
Despite the wonderful festivities, the divisions within the royal family were glaring, with some of the king’s prominent siblings, like Prince Bambindlovu, Simingaye, Princess Bukhosibemvelo, and others, staying away.
Princess Bukhosibemvelo told the Sunday World on Friday evening that some of her siblings have gone to their uncle’s place in Eswatini, boycotting the royal wedding after they fell out with their brother over the undistributed multimillion-rand estate of their late mother, Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu.
They accuse the king of deliberately delaying the process to force them into submission, a claim that the king’s spokesperson, Prince Thulani Zulu, refutes.
