By Celani Sikhakhane
- A leaked video showed King Misuzulu kaZwelithini calling Shembe Church leader Inkosi Mduduzi Nyazilwezulu Shembe an idiot during a private argument.
- The King and Queen Nomzamo kaMyeni will travel to Zimbabwe together this weekend to meet President Emmerson Mnangagwa on immigration.
King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has apologised after a leaked video showed him insulting Queen Nomzamo kaMyeni and later calling Shembe Nazareth Baptist Church leader, Inkosi Mduduzi Nyazilwezulu Shembe of eBuhleni, an idiot.
The recording was shared on Facebook on 9 July, while the King and Queen Nomzamo kaMyeni were attending an official meeting with a Build One South Africa delegation, led by Mmusi Maimane, at kwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace in Nongoma.
The Office of the King said the video was taken weeks earlier, in a private family setting, and was shared publicly without the King’s knowledge or consent.
In the recording, the King can be seen holding a bottle of Stella Artois while speaking. He is heard expressing frustration over an incident last year in which Queen kaMyeni met players from Kaizer Chiefs FC without informing him, and making personal remarks about the Queen that the Royal Household has since described as private and historical.
The Office of the King said the recording “does not represent the present circumstances within the Royal Household,” and that the King has sent a royal delegation to formally apologise to the Shembe Church leader for the hurt caused by his words.
In a statement, the Office of the King said the couple’s continued joint public duties “reflect their shared commitment to the institution of the Zulu Monarchy,” and that the period shown in the video “has since been overtaken by reconciliation, reflection and the continued fulfilment of their responsibilities.”
The King said he “deeply regrets the hurt caused by his utterances” and asked those affected, including the Royal Family, amakhosi, the Royal Household, religious leaders and the Zulu nation, to accept his expression of remorse.
Queen kaMyeni will join King Misuzulu on a trip to Zimbabwe, their first joint trip outside the country, departing on Saturday morning. They are expected to meet President Emmerson Mnangagwa to discuss the illegal immigration crisis.
Pictured above: Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane after a meeting with King Misuzulu kaZwelithini and Queen Nomzamo kaMyeni, held before the leaked video began circulating.
Image source: Zulu Royal Kingdom
This article has been updated for clarity.
