King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has officially named Princess Sihle LaMawewe of the Ndwandwe Royal Family as his Queen Consort (Undlunkulu), in a move described as deeply ancestral, cultural, and spiritual.
According to Chief Director of the Royal Household Squire Arnold Nododile (Ndamase), the presentation of Undlunkulu LaMawewe during the Umhlanga Reed Dance in Eswatini was a necessary ancestral and diplomatic rite.
Held in the presence of His Majesty King Mswati III, the ceremony validated the Queen Consort’s readiness and honoured shared royal customs between the Zulu and Eswatini monarchies.
Cultural and Ancestral Significance
Ndamase explained that the choice of a Ndwandwe princess reconnected Zulu and Ndwandwe bloodlines, reaffirming the sacred foundation of queenship at eMashobeni Royal Palace.
The return of Umkhosi Womhlanga to Emashobeni in 2025, after more than four decades, was described as a deliberate act of cultural restoration and royal authority.
He emphasised that the Reed Dance, symbolising maidenhood and purity, took on deeper meaning when tied to the investiture of a Queen Consort. The move also positioned Emashobeni as a cultural capital, linking Zulu, Ndwandwe, and Eswatini monarchies through shared history and bloodlines.
“This is not just a marital union, it’s a statement of nationhood. It signals that Zulu royalty is guided by sacred tradition and ancestral mandate, not politics,” said Ndamase.
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