South Africa’s Zulu queen fails to prevent monarch’s third marriage

The first wife of South Africa’s Zulu king, Misuzulu kaZwelithini, has failed in her legal bid to stop his plans to take a third wife.

Queen Ntokozo kaMayisela attended court ahead of what was expected to be the wedding later this week.

But despite the ruling, it is unclear whether the wedding will go ahead as planned.

On Saturday, South African media cited a letter purportedly from the king saying the ceremony had been canceled “due to reasons beyond the control of the royal household.”

Polygamous marriages are recognized in South Africa, but only if they are registered as customary marriages.

This latest dispute comes amid a series of scandals that have plagued King Misuzulu. since he came to power just over two years ago.

The Zulu king has no formal political power and the monarch’s role within wider South African society is largely ceremonial, but he remains hugely influential with an annual government-funded budget of several million dollars.

Before being enthroned, the king married Mayisela in 2021 in a civil marriage.

In her legal argument heard before the high court on Monday, the queen, through her lawyer, said the king could not marry anyone else because their marriage was still in force.

Under South African law, a civil marriage must be dissolved or converted to a traditional union before a man can take more wives.

Rejecting the request to suspend the king’s marriage to Nomzamo Myeni, Judge Bongani Mngadi said that as the queen had already consented to the idea that her husband could marry other women, she could not prevent a ceremony from taking place.

Last year, the court was told Monday, the royal couple had agreed to convert their civil marriage to a traditional one. But the king has since filed for divorce, claiming their relationship had broken down.

Despite the published letter and the king’s lawyer in court stating that the wedding would not take place, contradictory statements have also emerged.

South African news site TimesLIVE reports that the bride-to-be said she knew nothing about the letter and, as far as she understood, their wedding would go ahead as initially planned.

According to another news site, IOL, which reportedly spoke to the couple, the king insisted that he loved Myeni and would “forcibly marry her.”

Since his coronation in October 2022, there has been controversy surrounding some of the decisions King Misuzulu made.

In December, he illegally suspended the board of the Ingonyama Trust, which owns and controls vast tracts of communal land in KwaZulu-Natal, which is supposed to be for the benefit and well-being of communities under the king’s leadership in the region.

King Misuzulu is the sole administrator and chairman of the trust, but has no powers to hire or fire board members.

He also recently summarily fired two close aides, including his traditional prime minister, in quick succession, moves that surprised royal watchers.

Some are also questioning Misuzulu’s position as king and a legal case is currently underway challenging his recognition as monarch by the State.

He ascended the throne earlier than expected after his father, King Goodwill Zwelithini, died during the Covid pandemic in March 2021 from diabetes-related complications.

Zwelithini was the longest-reigning monarch of the Zulu nation, having served on the throne for almost 50 years.