A livid former president Jacob Zuma stormed out of lobola negotiations where a delegation of eSwatini royals came to ask for his 21-year-old daughter’s marriage on behalf of his 56-year-old friend King Mswati III.
“I’ve never seen uNxamalala (Zuma) losing it like that. He tried to hide it, but you could tell that he was angry.
“He just stood up and said seniyosala niqhubeka bafana bakithi (I won’t be a part of this, you will have to carry on without me, my brothers). He then left, leaving all of us shocked,” an insider speaking on condition of anonymity revealed to Sunday World this week.
The insider was part of the delegation sent by Mswati III to Zuma’s ancestral home of KwaDakwadunuse in Nkandla, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The eSwatini delegation, accompanied by amaZulu king MisuZulu ka Zwelithini’s spokesperson Prince Simphiwe Zulu, together with the commander of amabutho (regiments), had been dispatched to perform the ukucela custom, which entails making the prospective groom’s intentions to the woman’s family.
Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze, his majesty’s chief executive officer, Prince Hlangabeza Dlamini, and Qethuka Sigombeni Dlamini, the king’s emissary, led King Mswati’s delegation.
Sunday World understands that Zuma and his entourage of bodyguards subsequently sped out of the homestead, leaving the delegation stunned.
“He [Zuma] felt betrayed because he and King Mswati come a long way. But he did not tell him that he had intentions of making a wife out of his daughter.
“And what we know is that Mswati had indicated to Nxamalala [Zuma] that he would like Zuma’s daughter to marry into the eSwatini kingdom, but said he liked her for his son,” said the relative.
The polygamist king’s roving eye has also caused a stir amongst his 15 wives, who had believed that there wouldn’t be any addition to the family as his majesty was getting old and had not taken a new wife in recent years.
Swaziland News editor Zweli Martin Dlamini told Sunday World on Friday that his majesty’s wives were also not pleased with him.
“One of the king’s wives is my source of the story; she leaked the information to me because she is not happy that his majesty has decided to take a new wife as he is failing to take good care of the ones he already has,” Dlamini said.
Dlamini added that according to information at his disposal, Nomcebo visited eSwatini through the Lavumisa and Oshoek-Ngwenya border gates on March 13 this year.
“The immigration records I have suggested that Nomcebo now spends most of her time in the Kingdom of eSwatini,” he said.
He explained that the immigration records also suggested that Nomcebo initially spent three weeks in eSwatini before returning home, and that she was back in the kingdom within a few days.
Dlamini added that according to information, Nomcebo is currently in eSwatini, where she is booked in one of the guest houses, as she is being prepared to be unveiled as the king’s new liphovela during the reed dance.
“Liphovela is an official girlfriend of the king, who is about to be married and join the royal family. And Nomcebo is expected to be introduced to the nation during the annual reed dance in August,” Dlamini explained.
Nomcebo Zuma is believed to have been staying in various hotels in eSwatini since March, with Mswati III footing the bill. She is the daughter of Zuma’s fifth wife Nonkululeko Hloniphile Mhlongo.
The delegation apparently left 10 cattle as dowry for Zuma’s daughter.
Sunday World understands that King Mswati wants to declare Nomcebo as his wife during umkhosi womhlanga, an annual virginity testing ceremony, which usually happens in August or September.
The annual ceremony is part of the Zulu and Swati culture where bare-breasted maidens parade themselves before the king to celebrate their purity.
Zuma’s daughter has attended the ceremony for years before catching the eye of the eSwatini absolute monarch. If the marriage goes ahead, Nomcebo will be the king’s 16th wife.
King Mswati is believed to have already told the nation that he intends wedding another queen with plans afoot to build her a royal palace in eMankanyane area of the landlocked country.
“In the initial discussions with ubaba (Zuma), King Mswati indicated that his son, who is believed to be in his 30s, wanted to marry Nomcebo and that his majesty himself had an eye on her sister, Jabulile.
“And it came as a shock to Msholozi when King Mswati changed the initial proposal and announced that he wants Nomcebo for himself as he is no longer interested in her sister,” one of our Zuma moles said.
The traditional ceremony that Zuma boycotted was to open the doors for King Mswati III to bring at least 100 cattle and a six-figure amount as ilobolo for Nomcebo.
Zuma and the Swati royal family have a history of dating each other.
Zuma once dated one of King Mswati’s sisters, princess Sebentile Dlamini, but never married her after he sent a delegation with a reported 50 cattle to introduce him as her suitor in 2002.
In October 2017, Zuma’s son, Mxolisi, married Princess Ziyanda Dlamini as his second wife. Mxolisi paid 120 cattle for his bride, who is the daughter of Prince Fanyana Dlamini.
Mxolisi, the eldest child of Zuma and his late second wife, Kate Mantsho, is also the brother of the twins Duduzane and Duduzile.
The former president’s nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, is also married to Fikisiwe Dlamini, the king’s niece. Khulubuse’s wife is the daughter of Mswati’s late brother, Prince Phiwokwakhe Dlamini, and in October 2013, he paid 100 cattle in lobola for her.
