Nomcebo Zuma, the sassy 21-year-old daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma was this week unveiled as King Mswati III’s liphovela (an official girlfriend) and made her first public appearance in eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) along with one of the monarch’s 15 wives.
Three independent sources confirmed to Sunday World that King Mswati is expected to pay 2 million rands (175 million naira) and 100 head of cattle aslobolo for Nomcebo, the daughter of Zuma and Nonkululeko Hloniphile Mhlongo, also known as MaMhlongo.
“MaMhlongo’s eyes are on the lobolo (bride price), which is reportedly to be six figures and about 100 cattle,” said a member of the Zuma family, who asked not to be named as he isn’t allowed to speak to the media on family matters.
Nomcebo will now warm the 56-year-old king’s bed even after her father, Zuma, stormed out of the lobolo negotiations two weeks ago.
After Zuma walked out, MaMhlongo, who has two children with the former president, apparently told everyone that the negotiations would go on with or without him.
She and Zuma couldn’t be reached for comment.
Nomcebo, dressed in red Swati regalia, made her first public appearance accompanied by the king’s 15th wife, Siphelele Mashwama, during the opening of a R50-million chicken project in Malkerns, eSwatini, on Monday.
Zuma abandoned lobolo negotiations when it turned out that the king, who had initially reportedly told him that he wanted his son, who is in his 30s, to marry the former president’s daughter, only to be told during the negotiations that the king wanted Nomcebo for himself.
Last week Sunday World reported that a livid Zuma walked out of the talks, telling a family member that he felt betrayed by the king, who had sent a delegation to the Nxamalala homestead in Nkandla, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Peoplesmind