Succession to the Swazi throne

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In Eswatini, no king ( Ngwenyama , 'lion') can appoint his successor. Instead, on the demise of a king, the Liqoqo, an independent traditional council, decides which of his wives shall be "great wife" and Indlovukazi , 'She-Elephant'. The son[ further explanation needed ] of the chosen Indlovukazi will automatically become the next king. [1]

The Indlovukazi is chosen after the death of the king and must be of good character. Her character affects her child's chances of ascending to the status of king. According to Swazi culture, a son cannot be the heir if his mother is not of good standing. She must not bear the maiden name of Nkhosi-Dlamini, as Dlamini is the name of the royal house[ further explanation needed ] and she must not be a ritual wife (see next paragraph). [2]

The current king, Mswati III, has 11 wives (2 have permanently left him and 2 are deceased), 39 children and 13 grandchildren. [3] The first two wives of a Swazi king are chosen for him by the national councillors. These two have special functions in rituals and their sons can never become kings. The first wife must be a member of the Matsebula clan, the second of the Motsa clan. These wives are known as tesulamsiti.

A royal fiancée is called liphovela, or "bride". They graduate from being fiancées to full wives as soon as they fall pregnant, when the king customarily marries them. However, the traditional marriage, known as “Ludvendve” (marriage to the king) only follows later. [4]

In traditional Swazi culture, the king is expected to marry a woman from every clan in order to cement relationships with each part of Eswatini. This means that the king must have many wives. [2]

Family of King Mswati III

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Inkhosikati LaMbikiza Inkhosikati La Mbikiza.jpg
Inkhosikati LaMbikiza
Sikhanyiso Dlamini at the 2006 Umhlanga Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini-001.jpg
Sikhanyiso Dlamini at the 2006 Umhlanga

References

  1. ↑ Kuper, Adam. "Rank and Preferential Marriage in Southern Africa: The Swazi". Man. Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. 1: 567–579.
  2. 1 2 Wayua, Muli. "A king, his culture, his wives," Daily Nation (Nairobi, Kenya). December 7, 2002.
  3. 1 2 Sapa-AFP (September 17, 2013). "Swaziland's King Mswati takes pageant contestant as 15th wife". Times Live. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Swazi royal family thrown into sordid disarray IOL
  5. ↑ United Nations Development Programme: "UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Her Royal Highness Inkhosikati LaMotsa, speaks at the launch of the MDGs at Matsanjeni," Archived September 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine 2007.
  6. ↑ eSwatini King attends son’s graduation in Taiwan Taiwan News. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  7. ↑ Los Angeles Times
  8. 1 2 Ndiweni, Sikhumbuzo Ndiweni. "Swazi queens revolt," 24News.com. July 4, 2004.
  9. ↑ Swazi king’s wife took overdose News24
  10. ↑ Mswati’s 6th wife leaves palace IOL
  11. ↑ "Swazi King Mswati takes 12th wife". The Namibian. June 14, 2005. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
  12. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BuyazLbhX96/Instagram [ dead link ]
  13. ↑ "Swazi king picks young new wife". BBC News. September 26, 2005. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  14. ↑ Dlamini, Welcome (August 31, 2014). "King marries Liphovela lafogiyane". Swazi Observer. Swazi Observer. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  15. ↑ Nkosi, Sibongakonkhe. "New bride, his 14th, for Swazi King Mswati the Third". City Press. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  16. ↑ Savage, Rachel (September 3, 2024). "Daughter of South Africa's ex-president Zuma to be Eswatini king's 16th wife". Guardian.
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