King Mswati of Eswatini allegedly assaulted his wife Sibonelo Mngometulu. She is receiving treatment in a South African hospital for her injuries, it has been reported.
Inkhosikati Mngometulu (known as LaMbikiza) left Eswatini around 15 August, according to the Swaziland News, which broke the story of the alleged assault.
“Her diplomatic passport suggests that she flew to South Africa with flight number 3DC-SWz around 10:54am,” the paper reported.
LaMbikiza is the third of King Mswati’s 15 wives and apparently “question[ed] him about the real father of their daughter Princess Sikhanyiso’s son, Prince Phikolezwe”.
Spokesperson of the Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN), Lucky Lukhele, told the Swaziland News: “I am aware that LaMbikiza was assaulted by Mswati and she lost her teeth in the process.”
The king’s spokesperson, Percy Simelane, said: “We are not aware. It is the public face of the King that is our area of interest and concern. We therefore wouldn’t be able to know what happens behind closed doors and any effort by us to enquire along those lines would be [an] invasion of privacy.”
