King Misuzulu’s decision to divorce his wife has bolstered a faction that is fighting to dethrone him from his kingship.
A senior member of the Zulu Royal family, Prince Mazwi Zulu of KwaMinyamanzi House who is aligned with the king’s half-brother, Prince Simakade Zulu lashed out at Misuzulu for ‘undermining and destroying the Zulu culture by divorcing his wife without mediation’, which he said was a cultural practice that has saved marriages in African families for decades.
Prince Mazwi is a direct descendant of Prince Ndabuko who was king Cetshwayo’s brother and fought alongside him in the famous battle of Isandlwana in 1879.
Mazwi was weighing in on the debate after the king filed divorce papers seeking to end his marriage to one of his wives - the couple have two children.
In court papers, the king said the marriage has reached a state of disintegration that there is no reasonable prospect for the restoration of a normal marriage.
The king said apart from communicating regarding issues concerning the children, there has not been meaningful communication between him and his wife - who is not being named to protect their minor children.
“The parties have on several occasions experienced trouble with their marriage and tried to restore their relationship without success. The parties have not lived together as a husband and wife for a continuous period of at least one year immediately prior to the institution of this action,” reads the court papers
The king asked the court to grant him custody of the children who are still minors. He offered to financially support the queen with R20 000 per month for the period of 12 months from the date of the divorce decree.
Although the couple was married in community of property in 2021, the king said there are no assets and liabilities in the joint estate and they have already divided their personal belongings.
Prince Mazwi said in terms of African culture, elders in the families could convene a special meeting to mediate between the couple by sitting them down and asking them to give his or her account of the problems they had experienced.
He said as a custodian of Zulu culture, the king was supposed to lead by example and protect this important culture which has bound and saved many collapsing marriages in the past.
"The king has abandoned African ways of solving marital matters and has adopted Western ways.“
Zulu cultural expert Professor Gugu Mazibuko from the University of Johannesburg called on the elders within the royal family to intervene and save the image of the kingdom.
Mazibuko said elders in the royal family including the matriarchs, the queens of late Prince Mcwayizeni and the late King Cyprian who could easily approach the king and have a discussion with him.
Mazibuko said the late king Goodwill Zwelithini's wives could also talk to Misuzulu.
“As much as we respect that since assuming the position of king, he culturally became an elder to all of us as his subjects regardless of age, when it comes to personal issues like marriage, the king can take advice from the elders.
“Particularly on matters like these that are an embarrassment to the nation so I am calling on the elders to rise and save the image of the throne and the Zulu nation.”
Mazibuko said saving the marriage will set a good example for other marriages which are on the verge of collapse as it will remind ‘African couples that mediation by families in marital relationships in the past did save collapsing marriages'.
King Misuzulu issued a statement saying he will not comment further on the matter.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za