By Sitha Maliwa:
In a twist worthy of royal legend, the gilded gates of Eswatini’s royal palace have been shaken by scandal, as Inkhosikati Nomcebo Zuma, the 22-year-old daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has abandoned her marriage to King Mswati III, walking away from a life of opulence, tradition, and silence.
Nomcebo, once paraded as the monarch’s most dazzling jewel during the Umhlanga Reed Dance, has reportedly fled the palace, citing emotional abandonment and disillusionment with the rigid expectations of polygamous royal life. Sources close to the palace allege she could no longer bear the king’s long absences, nor the reality of sharing a husband with over 14 other wives.
In accordance with Eswatini custom, Nomcebo’s departure – known as kwemuka – triggered a traditional response. A royal delegation, cloaked in protocol and pride, descended upon the Zuma compound in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, seeking to negotiate her return.
But they were met not with diplomacy – they were turned away.
Jacob Zuma, once Africa’s most controversial president and now the fiercely protective father, refused to meet the king’s envoys. Insiders claim he never supported the union, but ultimately capitulated under the weight of his daughter’s wishes. Her exit may be a vindication for him = and a diplomatic embarrassment for the Eswatini monarchy.
“The former president is said to be livid,” a source close to the Zuma family confided. “He believes his daughter was treated more like a possession than a partner.”
Nomcebo’s rise to royal status was meteoric. Initially cloaked in secrecy, her romance with King Mswati came to light when she was formally introduced as his Liphovela (royal girlfriend) at last year’s Reed Dance = a pageant of tradition, purity, and statecraft. It was then that the continent saw her, regal and radiant, standing beside one of Africa’s last absolute monarchs.
But beneath the surface, all was not well.
Despite the luxury of palace life, sources say Nomcebo felt lonely, isolated, and stripped of her voice. The sparkle of royalty dimmed quickly under the weight of strict customs and a sprawling, divided household. Her youth and modern upbringing clashed with the rigid confines of royal tradition.
“She didn’t want to become just another name in a long list of wives,” said a source familiar with the royal household. “She wanted love. She wanted a partner. Not a title.”
The royal palace has remained tight-lipped. Percy Simelane, the king’s spokesperson, distanced the monarch from the matter, saying, “His Majesty’s private affairs are not the domain of my office.”
But this is no mere private affair. In a nation where the king’s wives are rarely heard from and never seen defying custom, Nomcebo’s departure is unprecedented – a crack in the centuries-old facade of unquestioned royal authority.
Social media across Eswatini and South Africa is ablaze, with many hailing Nomcebo as a symbol of female empowerment in the face of outdated traditions.
Will King Mswati III speak? Will Jacob Zuma soften? And most crucially – will Nomcebo return?
For now, she remains silent and out of sight, her whereabouts undisclosed. But her choice has sparked a conversation that echoes far beyond the palace walls = one that pits tradition against transformation, power against personhood, and royalty against reality. – @NewsSA_Online
Please like, follow and engage with us on our social media platforms, links below: