Faith Nyasuguta
In a twist of political and royal intrigue, Nomcebo Zuma, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, is set to become the 16th wife of King Mswati III of Eswatini, the last absolute monarch in Africa.
The engagement took place during the annual Umhlanga, or reed dance, a traditional ceremony where hundreds of women perform before the king, and Nomcebo, 21, was among them, standing out as the liphovela, the royal fiancée.
King Mswati III, 56, has ruled Eswatini since 1986, ascending to the throne shortly after his 18th birthday. Over his reign, he has been criticized for his extravagant lifestyle amid widespread poverty in the country of 1.2 million people, where political parties are banned, and elected officials have little actual power. The king’s many marriages, often to much younger women, have drawn criticism from human rights activists and international observers.
The reed dance, a days-long celebration of Eswatini’s culture, involves young women singing, dancing bare-chested, and wearing traditional attire, including anklets, tassels, and mock weapons.
This year, approximately 5,000 people gathered at the Ludzidzini royal village in Lobamba to witness the event. Swazi influencer Bianca Dlamini-Holman described the ceremony in a 2023 YouTube vlog as a “graceful” display of the nation’s heritage.
This is not the first time King Mswati has selected a much younger bride from the reed dance. In 2005, Phindile Nkambule, then just 17, was chosen as his 13th wife after catching his eye at the event. The king has a history of controversial marriages; in 2001, he imposed a ban on sex with girls under 18 to combat HIV/AIDS, only to violate it himself months later by marrying a 17-year-old, for which he fined himself a cow.
Mswati’s marital practices have drawn significant scrutiny over the years. In 2003, Zena Mahlangu, his 10th wife, was allegedly abducted at age 18 while preparing for her A-levels. Her mother fought a legal battle for her return, but the court ruled in favor of the king.
Nomcebo Zuma comes from a similarly complex family background. Her father, Jacob Zuma, 82, a former polygamous president of South Africa, has had six marriages, with four wives currently and more than 20 children.
Zuma’s presidency, from 2009 to 2018, was marked by corruption scandals that eventually forced him to resign. However, he remains a shrewd political figure, recently leading his new party, uMkhonto we Sizwe, to a surprising third-place finish in South Africa’s national elections.
The impending marriage of Nomcebo Zuma to King Mswati III is expected to deepen the ties between two of Southern Africa’s most polarizing figures, weaving a new thread into the complex tapestry of African politics and royal tradition.
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