ZUMA’S DAUGHTER REPORTEDLY LEAVES KING MSWATI MONTHS AFTER WEDDING

In a dramatic development that has rocked Africa’s last absolute monarchy, Inkhosikati LaZuma (Nomcebo Zuma), the 12th wife of King Mswati III of Eswatini and daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has allegedly abandoned her royal marriage.

The 22-year-old junior wife, who became the monarch’s bride in September 2024 after being chosen at the annual uMhlanga Reed Dance, is said to have left the palace, citing the emotional strain of polygamy. Sources close to the royal household claim she struggled with “going months without seeing her husband” in a marriage where the 56-year-old king has 15 wives and 36 children.

Nomcebo, raised in a polygamous household herself, her father has six wives and over 20 children, initially embraced royal life, even accompanying King Mswati on a R200-million state trip shortly after their wedding. However, palace insiders report she grew disillusioned with the isolation and competition among wives.

In line with Swazi tradition, the king dispatched a delegation to Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, to negotiate her return, a practice known as kwemuka. However, Jacob Zuma, leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, has reportedly refused to meet the envoys. Sources claim the former president “never supported the marriage” but acquiesced due to his daughter’s insistence.

The king, who faces growing scrutiny over his lavish lifestyle amid economic struggles in Eswatini, now confronts an unprecedented challenge to his marital status. The 56-year-old monarch has ruled Eswatini since 1986, maintaining a lifestyle of opulence while the country grapples with poverty and political unrest.