The Zulu nation is gripped by a dramatic unfolding of events within the royal household, centred around the personal life of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini.
His planned marriage to Nomzamo Myeni has been abruptly cancelled, casting a long shadow over the already turbulent situation created by the very public expression of fear for her life and the lives of her children by his estranged wife, Queen Ntokozo KaMayisela Zulu.
Queen KaMayisela’s anxieties are deeply rooted, as revealed in a letter she addressed to the royal house elders, a copy of which was obtained by Sunday World. The letter paints a picture of a queen deeply distressed and fearful.
Her concerns stem from the King’s decision to marry another woman while still legally married to her, a situation she describes as bigamous and a violation of Zulu customs. She further alleges that the King did not inform her of his intentions, despite her directly questioning him about his plans to take another wife. He had explicitly assured her that he had no such intentions.
While acknowledging the presence of marital problems, Queen KaMayisela vehemently denies ever agreeing to a dissolution of their marriage.
The complexities of her marriage to the King are further illuminated by her account of their initial civil union and their subsequent agreement to transition to a customary marriage, particularly after the arrival of Queen Nozizwe Mulela-Zulu, the king’s second wife.
Seeking legal advice, they were presented with two options: divorce and remarriage, or a court application to formalise a polygamous union. Queen KaMayisela explains, “We both agreed to file an application to change the status of our union but in the middle of the process, the king decided to change his mind for reasons I do not know. I still stand by this solution so that the king does not go against our customs and culture. I am not stopping him from getting married again but the nation, tradition, and the royal house come first, and it is important to protect them. I humbly ask that we resolve this internally in the royal house instead of taking each other to court and to the newspapers.”
However, her urgent court application for an interdict against the wedding suggests that internal resolution is no longer a viable path.
A source close to the royal family stated: “He told his lawyers and her that there won’t be any wedding. The wedding is definitely not going to happen, because since he came out of seclusion, there are things he is not supposed to do. He also has to go to Eswatini to do some rituals at his mother’s home. He always maintained that he will not get married.”
The cancellation extends to the immediate termination of all allowances and security detail for Ms Myeni. A letter, seen by City Press and addressed to the director general in the office of the premier, Nonhlanhla Mkhize, confirms this.
The king’s letter states: “Due to reasons beyond the control of the royal house, the traditional wedding ceremonies involving Ms Myeni have been called off. As a result, it has become necessary to terminate all associated arrangements.”
Further allegations against Ms Myeni have emerged from sources within the royal family. One source described her as “bossy and manipulative,” citing complaints from her own bodyguards about her demanding behaviour.
The source stated: “She is bossy and manipulative. Even her bodyguards were complaining saying she makes them carry bags for her. They are saying ‘if something happens, how are we going to protect her?’ They don’t even carry their own bags. They said when they got inside the shops, they had to take out the credit card and money for her.”
Ms Myeni has declined to comment.
