Nomcebo Zuma, daughter of South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma, has become engaged to King Mswati III of Eswatini during the annual Umhlanga reed dance, where she was presented as the king’s liphovela (fiancée or concubine). At 21 years old, she will be the king’s 16th wife.
The 56-year-old monarch, who has ruled since 1986, is Africa’s last absolute ruler. Despite criticism of his luxurious lifestyle while many in Eswatini live in poverty, the reed dance remains a cultural highlight, showcasing traditional Swazi values with over 5,000 attendees.
Nomcebo’s engagement is not the king’s first announcement of a younger bride during this ceremony. King Mswati has dozens of children and has a history of selecting brides from the reed dance, including a 17-year-old in 2005.
Nomcebo comes from a large polygamous family. Her father, Jacob Zuma, 82, has six wives and over 20 children. He served as South Africa’s president from 2009 to 2018 before being ousted amidst corruption allegations. Zuma’s new political party recently finished third in South Africa’s elections.
This engagement brings two high-profile polygamous families together, continuing the tradition of royal marriage in Eswatini.
Nomcebo Zuma Engaged to Eswatini King as His 16th Wife
What reigns here is a fabulously royal mixture of past, present, and public fascination, in which the eldest daughter of a former president of South Africa, Nomcebo Zuma, is reported to be engaged to the king of Eswatini, Mswati III.
As the king’s 16th wife, the social media storm rooted in her potential royal household has been some of her father’s past secrets that have now unearthed in the wake of the Zuma daughter’s new marriage.
Not only is King Mswati III one of the last absolute monarchs but he has also been in the news numerous times due to his polygamous lifestyle, a custom which is very much a part of Eswatini’s tradition. Most of his new marriages have been publicized during the Reed Dance, an event where young virgins perform and present themselves before the king.
