Zulu Kingdom in Turmoil: King Misuzulu's Divorce Sparks Cultural Controversy

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini's decision to pursue a divorce from Queen Ntokozo kaMayisela challenges Zulu customs, creating a cultural stir and raising questions about his leadership amid ongoing rivalries within the royal family.

The love life of South Africa's Zulu king has captivated the nation and scandalized the king’s socially conservative subjects as he disrupts tradition by seeking a divorce. Perhaps surprisingly, polygamy is a significant aspect of Zulu culture, yet King Misuzulu kaZwelithini's decision to file in court for the dissolution of his marriage to Queen Ntokozo kaMayisela has triggered widespread debate.

“Everyone was puzzled. People were not expecting the king to go so far as to file for divorce,” says Professor Gugu Mazibuko, a cultural expert at South Africa's University of Johannesburg. In Zulu tradition, divorce is discouraged, as “you are not supposed to chase away your wife,” she explains.

The king, affectionately referred to as the "lion of the nation," serves as the custodian of traditions that prioritize marriage and polygamy, which are deemed essential for royal success. Despite his ceremonial role in South Africa, he maintains substantial influence, benefitting from a government-funded budget of several million dollars annually.

The monarch, who was raised in the neighboring country of Eswatini, studied in the United States, and ascended to the throne after his parents’ untimely deaths, has courted controversy throughout his reign. His coronation faced legal challenges from a discontented half-brother vying for the crown, and his second marriage also seems to be faltering.

His desire to take a third wife faced obstacles, and reports suggest flirtations with a young princess further complicate matters. For the longest time, the king's tumultuous personal life remained a subject of whispers until he officially filed for divorce in December.

Professor Mazibuko pointed out that in the 20th century, a Zulu monarch once divorced a queen, but that was kept a closely guarded royal secret, as divorce is generally frowned upon. Traditionally, if a marital union were to dissolve, a wife would remain in the king's homestead, granted her own space and well-supported financially, devoid of any romantic engagement with the king.

Just before he assumed the throne, the then-Prince Misuzulu married Queen kaMayisela, to whom he was already coupled and had two children. The marriage seemed hasty, with Professor Musa Xulu of the University of Zululand noting that “he felt he could not be a king without a wife.” She was an ordinary woman from a KwaZulu-Natal mining town and caught his attention while performing as a cabaret singer in Durban.

Her royal standing was highlighted during the king's coronation, sitting by his side during the state ceremony. However, the introduction of divorce has put her position in jeopardy, as the monarch's court filings assert their marriage has irreparably broken down and they have not cohabited as husband and wife for at least a year.

Following the divorce proceedings, the palace sent invitations to a wedding with a new bride, Nomzamo Myeni, slated for late January, with lobola already paid in cattle, a culturally significant asset. Refusing to concede, Queen kaMayisela filed a separate lawsuit to halt the wedding, asserting her rights based on the claim that the king would be committing bigamy. However, her case was dismissed, with the judge citing her previous agreement to accept the king's other marriages.

While polygamy is now accepted, Professor Mazibuko reminds that it was not inherent to Zulu culture, adopted later for political alliances. The king’s second wife, Nozizwe kaMulela, a banker from Eswatini, was seen as a strategic match, yet their status as a couple remains uncertain due to the absence of public ceremonies celebrating their union.

The tumultuous relationships rekindle doubts over whether King Misuzulu can navigate his royal duties aptly. His failed efforts to formalize a marriage to Myeni combined with an unrecognized bond with other prospective wives hint at a growing instability within the monarchy.

Meanwhile, the king's eccentric management of royal affairs includes addressing financial matters linked to a land trust established pre-1994, which commands vast territory in KwaZulu-Natal. His controversial actions have even led him to dissolve boards against government advice, feeding into an uncertain political landscape as he strives to retain control of the monarchy.

As rival factions eye the throne, the succession tussles stirred by King Misuzulu's tumultuous personal life could unveil vulnerabilities leading to another challenge for the crown. As Prof Mazibuko commented, such fierce competition for the Zulu crown echoes the past, albeit now settled in the courtroom rather than the battlefield. “I hope he survives, and everything settles down,” she remarked, considering the king’s future.