The high-profile marriage between former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Nomcebo Zuma (22), and the playboy King of Eswatini, Mswati III, has hit the rocks.
As a result, Inkhosikati LaZuma (Nomcebo) allegedly deserted one of the luxurious palaces and returned to her parental home in KwaZulu-Natal.
The departure was first reported by the Swaziland News, an online publication registered in South Africa due to the repression of independent media in the tiny kingdom.
The publication, citing information from deep throats within the extravagant royal family, reported that Inkhosikati LaZuma said she could not stand the loneliness and torture of being in a polygamous marriage in which she doesn’t see her husband for months.
King Mswati has 14 other wives after two deserted him and one committed suicide a few years ago, citing bad treatment by royal family members.
Other than having a squad of other wives, King Mswati III leads a hectic life as head of State of Eswatini, which he represents in several international forums like the AU and the UN. On each trip, one wife tags along with royal family members and hangers-on.
But even then, he allegedly hardly gets to spend time with his wife, instead spending most of the time in meetings with advisors and loyalists on royal and country matters. He is currently in Ghana with Inkhosikati LaMagongo, and then he will proceed to Spain.
According to insiders within the royal guard, Inkhosikati LaZuma grew frustrated that she was unable to see the king.
“She appears to be frustrated by the royal life and its strict protocols. Remember that the king has other duties, and at times he is not seen in public and by family for days while performing rituals that have to do with the throne. You will also remember that the king is not an ordinary citizen. Before public duty like opening the parliament, he has to go into seclusion. I think Inkhosikati LaZuma failed to understand that, hence her frustration and decision to leave,” said a source closely associated with the royal guards.
The source added that Inkhosikati LaZuma appeared to have been frustrated by the strict royal protocols. “It was frustrating to her that she could not easily go to the malls around and do some shopping as a wife. She had to go there with a squad of bodyguards and helpers. Besides that, even within the palace, there are strict protocols.”
A royal insider said he was hopeful that she would come back once her family has met with the king’s delegation to iron out the differences. “We hope to see her back in the palace again; it would be a scandal if she decides to leave forever after being here for the shortest time.”
King Mswati’s spokesperson, Percy Simelane, said he cannot confirm the departure, saying he is only responsible for the king’s image, not his private life.
“We are not aware [that] Inkhosikati LaZuma has deserted the king. We cannot even promise to check it out because, by principle, it is only the public face of the king that is our area of interest and not his private life. Logically, ideally and ethically, following it up would be [an] invasion of privacy on our part.”
Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi said he is only responsible for the affairs of the foundation, not the private life of the Zuma family, and as such, he could not comment on the report.
