Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini will tie the knot in a traditional wedding with his third wife, Queen Nomzamo Myeni, at kwaKhangela royal palace in Nongoma in northern KwaZulu-Natal next Sunday.
The new date for the wedding, which was postponed in January, was confirmed by Prince Gibizizwe Zulu on Thursday. “The king has asked me to announce to the nation that he is going to have umgcagco with his wife kaMyeni at kwaKhangela on November 9,” he said.
The prince urged the nation to “come in their numbers” to witness the ceremony.
The king and Myeni had planned their traditional wedding between January 25 and 27 but it was postponed after the king went into seclusion to pray for the nation. He was busy with the first fruit ceremony in Mashobeni palace.
The delay came amid divorce proceedings initiated by the king against Queen Ntokozo Mayisela, who is opposing the court action. She cited the upcoming wedding, arguing it would amount to bigamy. They have since reconciled.
The postponement sparked controversy and uncertainty about the wedding. The uncertainty was exacerbated by the leaking of a letter purportedly from the king to the then director-general in the office of the KwaZulu-Natal premier, Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize, instructing her to withdraw security details assigned to Myeni and strip her of other benefits.
Myeni stopped attending the king’s ceremonies, fuelling speculation their romantic relationship was over. Despite this, the two maintained they were together. The king sent a delegation to the Myeni family to appease them with a cow after the postponement. After that, Myeni was seen again attending the king’s ceremonies.
In the middle of the drama, the king started a new relationship with a fourth wife-to-be, Princess Sihle Mdluli from KwaMawewe tribal authority in Mpumalanga.
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