The Zulu royal family is facing an unprecedented uproar as King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, (the Monarch of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa) seeks to make the ‘unorthodox’ decision of divorcing his first wife, Queen Ntokozo kaMayisela. His choice has sent shockwaves through the Zulu nation, where divorce is heavily frowned upon and polygamy still remains deeply rooted in tradition.
When speaking of the decision, Prof Gugu Mazibuko, who is a cultural expert at South Africa’s University of Johannesburg, said that “Everyone was puzzled. People were not expecting the king to go so far as to file for divorce.” She added, “In Zulu culture, there is no divorce. You are not supposed to chase away your wife.” The king’s move has raised significant concerns amongst the Zulu community about the balance between traditional African marriage practices and modern legal frameworks. Looked to as a custodian of their culture’s traditions, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s influence in South African is far reaching, which is why his actions are seen as a marked departure from the status quo in which he is entitled to multiple wives under Zulu customary law.
Historically, if the relationship between a Zulu monarch and one of their wives deteriorated, the estranged queen would still remain within the royal homestead along with any of her children that the king had fathered and be ‘well cared for’ according to Prof Mazibuko. Although the king’s romantic affections may have ceased, this Zulu custom still ensured that his financial duty to her remained. However, King Misuzulu’s pursuit of a legal divorce appears to ignore this in a manner that suggests a shift influenced by Western legal systems.
The wife in question, Queen kaMayisela, has certainly not received the news favourably either. In retaliation to the king’s claim that their marriage has irretrievably broken down, she has sought separate legal action to halt his upcoming wedding to third wife-to-be, Nomzamo Myeni, succeeding thus far in postponing the event. In her own divorce proceedings, the queen also argued that the king, who is regarded by his people has ‘lion of the nation’, would be committing the legal offence of bigamy without first ‘converting’ his civil marriage to her into a traditional Zulu marriage. This assertion was rejected by the judge, however, who deemed her stance on the matter to be a ‘turnaround’ in attitude given that she had already previously agreed to her husband being able to take other wives – an example of this being his marriage to Nozizwe kaMulela, the MD of Eswatini Bank, in 2022.
These developments have arisen amid growing scrutiny of the king’s personal life as his second wife, Queen kaMulela, has not been publicly seen at recent royal events, fuelling speculation about the stability of their marriage and whether their final marriage rituals were ever completed. Such suspicion is likely rooted in the fact that the king chose not to have a traditional wedding for his marriage to first wife, Queen kaMayisela, opting for a modern-day marriage instead. Meanwhile, his delayed wedding to Ms. Myeni—despite having already paid lobola in cattle (lobola is a traditional ‘bride-price’ paid to the family of the bride before marriage)—has led to further uncertainty. Reports also suggest that another potential queen, Sihle Mdluli, a woman of royal lineage, may soon enter the picture as well, complicating matters even more.
Cultural and religious traditions in marriage are still widely upheld across the globe today, and our family law solicitors are experienced at dealing with any complications that can arise in relation to them. If you are seeking a divorce but are concerned about any constraints that may apply to you as a result of a religious marriage, don’t hesitate to call us today on 020 7100 6100 to book your free initial consultation and find out more about how Grayfords can help.
