King Mswati of Swaziland has married a 19-year-old woman as his 14th wife as she was unveiled following weeks of speculation.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
Swaziland’s King Mswati the III
Swaziland’s King Mswati the III has officially unveiled a new
bride, Siphelele Mashwama (19), daughter of a Swaziland Cabinet
minister, Jabulile Mashwama.
According to MpumalangaNews,
this is coming after many weeks of speculation, the 19-year-old
Siphelele Mashwama was confirmed the new bride for the Swazi King Mswati
by royal festivities overseer, Hlangabeza Mdluli who revealed that the
new bride is currently in New York in the United States, where the king
(49) is attending the United Nations General Assembly.
Mdluli told local journalists on Sunday while the king was about to
board his flight to the New York, that the king has officially made a
choice of the new wife. Siphelele seems to be king Mswati’s latest and
youngest wife in terms of age.
Other of his wives include: Inkhosikati LaMatsebula, Inkhosikati
LaMotsa, Inkhosikati LaMbikiza, Inkhosikati LaNgangaza, Inkosikati
LaMagwaza (deserted), Inkhosikati LaHoala (deserted), Inkhosikati
LaMasango, Inkhosikati LaGija (deserted), Inkhosikati Magongo,
Inkhosikati LaMahlangu, Inkhosikati LaNtentesa, Inkhosikati LaNkambule,
Inkhosikati Ladube and Inkhosikati LaFogiyane.
Swazi king Mswati is also said to have over 13 children which
include his eldest daughter HRH Princess Sikhanyiso, Sibahle Dlamini,
Makhosothando Dlamini, Majaha Dlamini, Tiyandza Dlamini, Sakhizwe
Dlamini, Saziwangaye Dlamini, Bandzile Dlamini, Lindaninkosi Dlamini,
Mcwasho Dlamini, Temtsimba Dlamini and Temaswati Dlamini, among others.
Siphelele (middle) at the reed dance after she was chosen by King Mswati the Third
It’s a common tradition for the Swaziland king to choose a wife
every year. Last year, the Sherburne-educated King chose a new bride
during the well-known Reed Dance ceremony, also known as Umhlanga).
The Reed Dance ceremony is an annual Swazi and Zulu tradition held
in August or September. In Swaziland, tens of thousands of unmarried and
childless Swazi girls and women travel from the various chiefdoms to
Ludzidzini to participate in the eight-day event and would-be brides are
publicly checked to ascertain that their virginity was still intact.
It would be recalled that the 49-year old Swazi king Mswati who calls himself ngweyama, “the lion,” had months back kicked against people filing for a divorce, saying it was against the culture of Swaziland.
“In our culture, once you marry someone, there is no turning
back. There is no word for “divorce” in Siswati, the official language
of Swaziland," the king added.
The Swaziland officials went further to explain the king’s comment,
saying that the comment about divorce was not a decree until he
officially tables them, run counter to a recently submitted marriage
bill by Swaziland’s attorney general that allows for divorce on certain
grounds. Divorce is not permitted under current legislation but a
process called Kumbuyisela ekhaya, which refers to reuniting a married
woman with her family, is allowed.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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