Today, 14 July, would have been the 73rd birthday of late Zulu King Zwelithini.
He was King Bhekuzulu and his wife’s eldest son and heir to the throne.
King Zwelithini attended the Bekezulu College of Chiefs and there after was privately tutored, according toSA History Online.
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Instead a regent was chosen and King Zwelithini continued his studies.
From hissix marriagesKing Zwelithini fathered 28 children.
Sibongile Winifred Dlamini, known to many as maDlamini or Queen Dlamini, was King Zwelithini first wife.
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In 1974, King Zwelithini tied the knot to Buhle KaMathe.
They got married in 1977 and had eight children.
In 1988, Thandekile “Thandi” Jane Ndlovu became King Zwelithini’s fourth wife.
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They had two daughters and a son together.
Four years later, King Zwelithini took his fifth wife, Nompumelelo Mchiza.
They were married for nearly three decades and had three children.
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Thirty-five-year-old Zola Zelusiwe Mafu is King Zwelithini’s sixth and last wife.
Queen Zola is the mother of the youngest King Zwelithini children, Prince Nhlendla.
In 2018, King Zwelithini’s budget was bumped up to R7 million.
King Zwelithini with Julius Malema. Photo: City Press / Gallo Images / Getty.Source: Getty Images
That same year he splashed a lot of money on an extravagant 70th birthday bash.
The vehicle is worth close to R1 million, according to a report by The South African.
According toWikipedia, R6m of the money would have gone to a palace for his youngest wife, Mafu.
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He also wanted R20 million for renovations on Queen Mchiza’s home.
King Zwelithini’s controversial statements
King Zwelithini has had his fair share of controversy.
In January, 2012, he came under fire for calling same-sex relationships “rotten”.
King Zwelithini during the annual Reed Dance at Enyokeni Royal Palace on September 07, 2019 in Nongoma. Photo: Sandile Ndlovu / Sowetan / Gallo Images via Getty.Source: Getty Images
Then-President Jacob Zuma reprimanded the Zulu King over his remarks.
However, King Zwelithini’s household defended the by claiming his statements were taken mistranslated.
Legacy and successor
King Zwelithini’s wife, Queen Mantfombi, was namedregent following his death.
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She became the regent until an official successor is named.
However, not even a month after her husband’s passing,Queen Mantfombi died.
Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi confirmed the news in a statement:
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