At the time of his death, King Zwelithini had six wives and twenty-eight children.
He married his youngest wife when she was seventeen years old, and they had one child. Two of his sons passed on.
1. Sibongile Winifred Dlamini Sibongile Winifred Dlamini, known to many as maDlamini or Queen Dlamini, was King Zwelithini first wife. They got married on 27th December 1969, two years before taking the throne. Their marriage of forty-five years gave rise to five children, although her eldest son Lethukuthula Zulu passed on in 2020.
2. Buhle KaMathe In 1974, seventy-year-old Buhle KaMathe became King Zwelithini’s second wife. Queen Buhle gave birth to eight children, and in 2002, one of her daughters made headlines due to her marriage to Chief Mfundo Mtirara of the abaThembu royal household. Chief Mtirara is alleged to have paid approximately 150 head of cattle for her hand in marriage.
3. Mantfombi Dlamini, the Great Wife Queen Mantfombi Dlamini was King Zwelithini’s third wife and the sister to King Mswati III. They got married in 1977 and so far have eight children. Her son, Misuzulu, is alleged to be a strong contender for the throne. READ ALSO King’s body will not lie in state, mourners urged not to attend funeral
4. Thandekile “Thandi” Jane Ndlovu Thandekile “Thandi” Jane Ndlovu got married to the late king in 1988. Their union yielded three children, two daughters and a son.
5. Nompumelelo Mchiza Nompumelelo Mchiza got married to King Goodwill Zwelithini Kabhekuzulu on 25th July 1992 as the fifth wife. Their marriage of close to three decades yielded three children. Queen Nompumelelo Mchiza lives at the Enyokeni Palace, which is regarded as the King’s “traditional” palace and hosts the Umhlanga Reed dance every September.
6. Zola Zelusiwe Mafu King Zwelithini. Thirty-five-year-old Zola Zelusiwe Mafu is King Zwelithini’s sixth and last wife. She was selected to become the king’s wife when she was seventeen, and for the past seven years, she has lived in one of the royal homes. Queen Zola is the mother of the youngest King Zwelithini children, Prince Nhlendla.
