Zulu King Misuzulu’s love life shocked South Africa when he decides to divorce

The love life of the South African Zulu king has the country and has scandalized its socially conservative subjects while traditionally looking for divorce.

Polygamy is part of the Zulu culture, but King Misuzulu Kazwelithini has taken the unusual step to go to court to divide his first wife, Queen Ntokozo Kamayisela.

“Everyone was confused. People did not expect the king to go so far,” Prof. Gugu Mazibuko, a cultural expert at the South Africa University of Johannesburg, told BBC.

“There is no divorce in Zulu culture. They shouldn’t chase away their wife,” she said.

The Zulu king is viewed as the “Lion of the Nation” and is the administrator of the ancient traditions that provide marriage and polygamy in the heart of royal success.

His role in South Africa may only be ceremonial, but it remains very influential with an annual budget of several million dollars financed by the government.

The monarch, which grew up in neighboring Eswatini, studied in the United States and came to the throne in 2021 – a court ban seems to be recognized.

His crowning glory was contested in court by his older half -brother who tried to grab the crown of him.

His second marriage seems to be shaky, his attempt to take a third woman hit the buffer, and there is also reports about another cover with a young princess.

However, the restless personal life of the 50-year-old was discussed in steamed tones until he submitted divorce papers in December.

Prof. Mazibuko admitted that historical records apparently indicate that a Zulu monarch had divorced one of his queens in the 20th century, but it was a “top kings’ secret” because the royal divorce is not the norm.

“If a marriage does not work, the woman will still live on the king’s homestead. She will get her own space. She will not have a relationship with the king, but she and her children are relocated well.”

Shortly before his throne – after the sudden death of his father and mother four years ago – the then Prince Misuzulu Ntokozo Married married Mayisela.

The two were already a couple and had two children together, but according to another cultural expert, Prof. Musa Xulu from the University of Zululand, the decision seemed to be in a hurry to be in a hurry.

“It seems as if he had the feeling that he was not king without a woman,” he told the BBC.

Queen Kamayisela came from an “ordinary family” – like many women from Zulu Kings – in a small mining city in the province of Kwazulu -Natal.

As a cabaret singer who appeared in a restaurant in the coastal town of Durban, she caught the royal eye, said the academic.

Her senior status in the family was made clear in December 2022 when the king was crowned when she was sitting at his side.

But their position is now threatened, and the monarch says in court files that they did not live as a husband and wife at least year and their marriage broken down irretrievably.

The palace followed by sending invitations to the king’s wedding to a new bride, Nomzamo Myeni, which is to take place at the end of January. The bridal price, known as Lobola, had already been paid in cattle – a valuable good in the Zulu culture.

Queen Kamayisela did not lose anything from it and set separate legal proceedings to stop the wedding that was postponed.

Her argument was that the king – known as his subject as “Ingonyama” and means lion – would commit the crime of “Bigamy” without “transforming” his civilian marriage into a traditional Zulu -marriage.

But the judge threw her case and said she had a “turnaround” in hiring because she had already agreed that her husband could take other women.

He noticed that the monarch had already done this – the nouzzue Kamulela, the MD of Eswatini Bank, married in 2022.

Prof. Mazibuko explained that polygamy was initially not part of the Zulu culture, in fact the first two kings were bachelor.

But it was accepted by her successors – King Misuzulu is the ninth monarch of the Zulu nation – and has become part of the Zulu culture.

“This is how we build families, especially the royal family,” said Prof. Mazibuko.

Queen Kamulela comes from an influential family in Eswatini, and the marriage was apparently arranged for strengthening The relationships between the royal families.

However, it is unclear whether the couple is still in a relationship, since the high -performance banker has not been discovered at Zulu Cultural events for some time – with speculation that their final marriage rituals have not been completed.

The various marriage problems of the current king seem to be due to the fact that tradition has not been properly followed.

In the case of the first woman, he decided on a modern marriage without a traditional wedding.

“In order for a marriage to be perfected to be perfected, there must be a public meeting with a song and dance,” said Prof. Xulu.

“You as a bride have to lead with a solo song and dance the bride -maids with them, and they wear a spear that they give the king -and then there is no return.”

Queen Kamayisela left this without the protection of tradition – and only the offer of monthly maintenance of 1,100 US dollars (850 GBP) for one year, although she would probably demand more before returning to the life of a community warning, said Prof. Xulu.

In the case of the second wife, the academic said that Lobola was paid in January 2022, but royal insiders indicate that the king “did not have those who went to pay” – and this union was not shaped with a public ceremony.

The assets of the potential third woman, Nomzamo Myeni, remain unclear because the king could not marry her in January, even though the court gave the homepage.

Prof. Xulu said that in Zulu culture a “shifted” before never normally takes place.

Although Ms. Myeni is still seen with the king, Accompanied him to a state event last week, in which she was referred to as queenSuggestions that your wedding can take place as soon as the king’s divorce goes through.

However, as a citizen, she would not integrate any powerful connections to her, which is why one of the youngest helpers of the monarch was confirmed to the local media that “a new queen”-Sihle Mdluli, which comes from the royal family of a small ethnic group in South Africa.

The adjutant suggested that it could be called “The Mother of the Nation” – a title that would make her with her children with her children the older queen.

But Prof. Xulu said he would not be surprised if this wedding would not take place, since the king’s relationships seemed to be all difficulty.

“I am not sure if he was ready to be king and whether he has good consultants,” said the academic.

He pointed out that the monarch had behaved irregularly in his public life and had released several high -ranking officials in his entourage.

In addition, he has installed himself as chairman of the board of a financially lucrative country of Trust, of which he is the only trustee.

The trust became a democracy shortly before South Africa became a democracy to control the control of 2.8 million hectares (seven million acres) land in Kwazulu-Natal.

King Misuzulu has also suspended all members of the Board of Directors, in cash one and she accused of being uncooperative.

He did this against the government’s council, which pointed out that he, as chairman, had to be responsible for parliament on the operations of Trust – something that does not correspond to his status as a constitutional monarch.

The dispute remains unresolved and gives the government a great political headache to avoid that they do not compete with the king.

Prof. Xulu said that he would not be surprised if a strong rival within the royal family had created a new offer at some point to dethroned him by asking the dishes that he is not “fit and appropriate” to be king.

The half -brother of the Monarch, Prince Simakade Zulu, the oldest son of the deceased king, has long sought the crown, but his supporters were over -maneuvered by Misuzulus allies in succession.

President Ramaphosa later gave Misuzulu a “certificate of recognition” and paved the way for him to be financed by the government.

But the supporters of Prince Simakades did not give up – went to the High Court to declare his state crowning as “illegal”.

The court ruled that President Ramaphosa had not complied with the law, which had to order an examination of the objections to Misuzulus accession.

The status quo remains until the outcome of an appeal procedure.

The scandals have the potential to weaken the position of the king if they come to another argument for the crown.

Although Prof. Mazibuko found that there was always violent competition for the Zulu crown – except now, it takes place in court on a bloody battlefield.

“He is not the first king to go through a lot,” she said. “I hope he survives and everything calms down.”