By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:King Mswati allegedly sent a delegation of traditionalists to Jacob Zuma’s home-KwaZulu Natal last weekend to present ten(10) cattle as part of “kucela” customary practice, the King was seeking permission to marry the former President’s daughter Nomcebo Zuma(21).

But the former South African President is alleged to have refused to attend the family meeting organized for “kucela” as he felt betrayed by his ‘friend’.

Kucela is a siSwati word and in this context, it means seeking permission and ‘blessing’ from the elders before marrying their daughter.

Mswati,an absolute Monarch and polygamist with over fifteen(15) wives,is alleged to have first told Jacob Zuma that,the daughter will be married by one of his sons to which Zuma agreed but, the King subsequently changed his mind seeking to ‘take’ Nomcebo Zuma for himself.

Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Friday,King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane said he was not aware of the proposed marriage between Mswati and Zuma’s daughter.

“We are not aware of any pointers to that effect”, said the King’s Spokesperson.

But one the King’s wives confirmed that,Mswati was preparing to marry Jacob Zuma’s daughter and according to the Inkhosikati, the delegation of traditionalists that left the country last weekend to KwaZulu-Natal,was organized by King’s Emissary Qethuka Dlamini on behalf of the King. 

“It’s surprising because some of us spend years without seeing him, we only watch him on TV and now he wants to add another wife”, said one of the King’s wives who asked this journalist to strictly protect her name as the matter remains highly secretive.

This Swaziland News is possession of information where another King’s wife was expressing her frustration to a relative, she told the relative that she asked her husband and he confirmed that indeed, Nomcebo will be the new Liphovela.

“He told me that he is strengthening relations with Zuma, can you imagine”, the King’s wife told a relative.

One of Zuma’s wives also confirmed that Mswati sent a delegation seeking permission to marry the former President’s daughter.

Efforts to reach the former President’s Spokesperson proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.

But even though the former South African President snubbed the meeting,Nomcebo Zuma’s mother MaMhlongo was allegedly present during the family as the happiest woman.

MaMhlongo was not legally married to former President Jacob Zuma but they have children.

It is alleged that, during the family meeting,MaMahlongo described the move by the eSwatini King to marry her daughter as a blessing.