A series of contradicting statements brought confusion for a couple of weeks, about whether The Royal Wedding, set for the weekend of November 8-9 (2025), was going ahead or not. While VIP guests had received formal invitations on behalf of both Myeni & Zulu Royal families, Prince Thulani Zulu, the King's royal Spokesman, told that he was "not aware" about King Misuzulu's wedding. Another unverified statement of the wedding's cancelation due to a (royal) family death was declined by Myeni's foundation as fake news, assuring the nation that the ceremony was going ahead just days before the big weekend. The celebrations began on Friday, 7 November, with the umkhehlo (the traditional Zulu engagement) held at Jozini Stadium. During the ceremony, which began at 1:00pm (insted of initially planned 10:00am), the bride was "showered with gifts from the groom" with a delegation of kwaMinyamanzi Prince Vanana Zulu from and some 500 people from Jozini attending. Queen Nomzamo (the second of King Misuzulu's four consorts whose wedding was finalized), paid her respects to her husband-to-be and danced for the good part of the ceremony, under the dance and song programme, organized by The Nazareth Baptist Church.
King Misuzulu, who opted not to dance before the main wedding ceremony on Sunday (9 November), also paid on Friday evening a visit to his late father's senior wife, Queen Sibongile Dlamini, to report his upcoming wedding according to the long-standing tradition. Saturday was a day of rest for The Nazareth Baptist Church Congregation, so the main umgcango ceremony took place Sunday afternoon at the kraal of kwaKhangelamankegane royal palace. The bride was dressed in her new family's ceremonial attire and accompanied by her family members to the kraal, where the main ceremony began with The King's arrival around 1pm. A cow was slaughtered at the kraal, symbolizing the formal acceptance of the new Queen into the Royal family and her introduction to the royal ancestors' spirits. A mixture of civil and religious marriage rites unfolded, and the Queen become emotional during the exchange of vows & rings (which she received kneeled in front of the King). Elements of Ama Zulu tradition were observed as well with the around thousand warriors & maidens joining the couple in song and dances. Notable absentees were senior members of Zulu royalty (Amakhosi) and army (Amabutho).
The traditional ceremony was followed by a Wedding reception at kwaKhangelamankegane Royal Palace, where pre-existing controversy over the Zulu King's matrimony persisted behind the walls. Initially, The King's marriage to Myeni was first planned for January 26, 2025. However, a surprise announcement came on 19 January, in which King Misuzulu called off his wedding to Nomzamo Myeni, and formally instructed the government of Kwa-Zulu Natal to remove all her security and royal benefits immediately. He cited "reasons beyond the control of the Royal House", while rumors of Myeni's infidelity spread, following reports that she had children before her marriage, whereas the Zulu monarch's bride is traditionally a virgin. This followed the appeal of Queen Ntokozo Mayisela (married civilly to King Misuzulu since 2021) to Pietermaritzburg High Court to interdict her husband's wedding as invalid. She cited the Civil Marriage Act law, forbidding polygamy during an existing marriage. The court, however, dropped her case as not urgent, arguing Mayisela could not prove that the traditional ceremony amounted to Civil Wedding, leading King Misuzulu to call it off until the case is subdued.
King Misuzulu's legal challenge by his first wife remains unresolved, as Queen Ntokozo pursues to halt his third marriage. Of a commoner background, Mayisela bore children to the Zulu King long before his accession in May 2021. They were then quickly married shortly after the death of his mother (whose brought Misuzulu to the throne), with the king offering the bridal price - loboba - to her family. In 2022 he married his second wife, Eswatini banker Nozizwe Mulela, although the final rites were unlikely completed. All wives of the Zulu King enjoy a state allowance, although those who have undergone a customary marriage (like Queen Nomzamo) are considered of higher hierarchy. On September 8, 2025, at the annual Reed Dance Festival organized by his uncle, King Mswati III of Eswatini, Misuzulu became engaged to Sihle Mdluli, a young member of the royalty of a small ethnic group from South Africa. Her position is privileged mainly because she comes from royal bloodline, although she is yet to be formally married to the Monarch. Divorce has not been common in Zulu tradition, unlike polygamy in the Royalty. The king can hold multiple traditional marriages, but has to endure his past problems.
Celebrations of The Zulu King & Queen's traditional Wedding were concluded on 10 November 2025. Several of the notable attendees - which included South African traditional Royalty & Nobility, as well as financial activists & politicians - held positive reflections on the customary ceremonies, that showed the rich cultural identity of Nguni communities, enables a meaningful cultural exchange to the attendees and stressed "the importance of Africans upholding the spirit of Ubuntu... the backbone of the continent's humanity and shared values" . King Misuzulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini, a unifying Chief of all Zulus, has yet to establish his reverence across the nation as his father had done in his almost 50 years of reign. After his death in March 2021, followed by that of his the Queen-Regent (Princess Mantfombi of Eswatini), their son's succession has been contested by senior half-brothers, even after the formal recognition of his coronation by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in October 2022, entitling him to an annual state allowance. His first four years of reign, marked by family rilvaries, marriage instability & dispute of chairing over a financially lucrative land trust as a personal property, have brought concerns over some of political & royal analysts. However, his enduring persistence on his own resolve, and in particular the successful carrying out of his third (& first traditional) marriage, shows that the 9th Zulu King is here, even if his relative have legally acclaimed the President's decision to recognise him as invalid, prompting the possibility of a future investigation, unlikely to change the status quo.
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Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misuzulu_Sinqobile
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2025-11-09-king-misuzulu-and-queen-myeni-finally-tie-the-knot/
https://www.theherald.co.za/news/2025-11-08-zulu-royal-wedding-ceremony-proceeds-despite-obstacles/
https://sundayworld.co.za/news/king-misuzulus-dramatic-wedding-to-new-bride-kicks-off-without-key-zulu-royals/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crlkd3234r4o
https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/king-misuzulu-in-final-stages-of-his-traditional-wedding/
https://witness.co.za/news/2025/11/10/throngs-of-people-attend-zulu-royal-family-wedding-in-nongoma/
https://sierraexpressmedia.com/royal-celebration-king-misuzulu-and-queen/
https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/chief-dakamela-reflects-on-lessons-from-king-misuzulus-grand-wedding/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2e63930qxo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ntokozo_Mayisela
