Queen Mayisela makes a comeback at king's side

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini 's first wife, Queen Ntokozo Mayisela, has made a royal comeback.

Mayisela, who stopped attending the king's events after he filed for divorce in January, was seen with him when he presided over a sod-turning ceremony in Sandlwana in Nquthu, KwaZulu-Natal, on Friday.

The P372 route which will be named after the king is vital in providing access to local communities, and serves as the only road leading to the historic Isandlwana Battlefield Heritage site.

Mayisela was also at his side at the umkhosi wamaganu (amarula festival) at Emachobeni royal place in Ngwavuma two weeks ago.

Mayisela came to Ingwavuma with their two sons.

The king's right-hand man, Prince Gumbela Zulu, said the matter between the Zulu king and his wives was a private issue.

“We need to learn to respect the privacy of the king,” he said.

But sources close to Mayisela said the two had resolved their misunderstanding in an amicable manner.

“I think they are in a process of resolving their broken marriage in a proper way. Hence, we saw the first wife attending umkhosi wamaganu after she was not seen at the king's events for a long time in the wake of their divorce matter,” said the source.

Another source said it was wrong for the king to file a divorce against his wife, “more especially as a custodian of culture”.

“The move by the king set a bad precedent in the eyes of the public,” he said.

The king filed divorce papers in the Pietermaritzburg's high court against Mayisela citing a breakdown in their marriage.

In the papers, the king said their broken marriage was irreparable.

It was reported the king and Mayisela had been living separately for about a year before a divorce was filed.

Mayisela challenged the divorce and also tried to stop him from marrying his third wife-to -be, Nomzamo Myeni, but her attempt failed in court.

It has not been established what the status of the divorce proceedings is. 

The wedding, scheduled between January 24-26, didn't materialise. 

The king was also reported to have a broken-down relationship with Myeni after he allegedly stripped her of bodyguards and other benefits.

The monarch was then said to be courting a new wife-to-be, Sihle Mdluli from KwaMawewe traditional council in Mpumalanga.

Mdluli attended the last session of the king's seclusion period in Mashobeni royal palace in Nongoma as well as the imbizo he convened, also at Mashobeni. However, Mdluli has not been seen since, with Mayisela and Myeni taking centre stage.

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