King Misuzulu kaZwelithini took the royal family by surprise when, for the first time, he publicly introduced Sihle Mdhluli as his queen-to-be early this week, as he usually keeps his love life private, said his spokesperson, Prince Thulani Zulu. 

The king unveiled Mdhluli while attending his uncle King Mswati III’s reed dance in Eswatini’s traditional capital, Ludzidzini, on Monday, ahead of the Reed Dance taking place today (Saturday).

According to one of the princes, who is close to the king, Mdhluli has been with the king for a while, living at Emashobeni Royal Palace in Phongolo, KwaZulu-Natal. 

The Reed Dance was held for the first time at Emashobeni on Saturday after King Misuzulu relocated from Enyekeni Palace in Nongoma, which had been its traditional venue since his father reintroduced it in 1991.

When asked about the rural wedding preparations, Zulu said this was the king’s personal issue, which he cannot talk about “if the king had not spoken about them”. 

“Because what you saw in Eswatini is not something we can comment on. I can only tell you about it once he authorises me to tell you about it, but for now, it is something very private,” he said.

Zulu claimed not to know anything about the king unveiling Mdhluli as the love of his life, who will soon become his next queen in Eswatini. 

“This could have been manufactured by the media since we don’t know anything about it,” he said. 

However, a member of the Zulu royal family, who is not authorised to speak to the media, confirmed that the king unveiled Mdhluli while in Eswatini.

The member already referred to Mdhluli as the Undlunkulu, meaning royal queen.  

“The queen that the king introduced as the queen has always been with the king, living at Emashobeni Palace, and it is not like he chose a new woman. He was introducing her officially,” he said. 

The king already has three queens, the first one being Queen Ntokozo kaMayisela, who lives in a palace in Ulundi, followed by Queen Nozizwe Mulela, who lives in Eswatini, and Queen Nomzamo Myeni of Emashobeni Palace in Ngwavuma. 

The Sunday Tribune reported in February that the king had to call off his wedding to Myeni after Mayisela filed an urgent interdict to stop the nuptials.

Talking to a northern KwaZulu-Natal-based online radio station during preparations for the Reed Dance early this month, Zulu lashed out at the detractors of girls younger than 16 years old being subjected to virginity testing, which is the requirement for participating in the Reed Dance. 

He said such detractors were targeting the Reed Dance using the Child Protection Act 38 of 2025.  

“It is disturbing that those who are trying to apply it (Act) are doing so ahead of the Reed Dance,” he said.

He said the young girls should be subjected to virginity testing because that would help to see if they had engaged in sexual activities. 

He said child rights activists should cooperate with virginity testing, ensuring that if underage girls are involved in sex, the perpetrators of statutory rape are arrested. 

“They are making a mistake if they say young girls should not be tested.” 

He said girls should be encouraged to be proud of being virgins. 

“The proof of being proud of being virgins is for them to be tested. The mothers who test the girls are clean because they wear gloves, and they don’t harm them.” 

Zulu girls should be tested at a young age because that is when they become targets of paedophiles. 

“If you can go to labour wards, you will be surprised to find out how many girls who are as young as 10, 15, 16, give birth. Therefore, I commend virginity testers because they are preventing such things. 

“If child rights activists say children should not be tested, they are inviting criminals to do whatever they want because these children are no longer protected, and the girls are no longer scared, as they are not going to be seen as having lost their virginity,” said Zulu.

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