The royal said her public stunt was a desperate call for help

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini says he knows the woman who tried to talk to him at a recent government event in eThekwini.
Image: King Misuzulu/ Facebook/ Sandile Ndlovu

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini says he knows the woman who caused drama when she rushed towards him on the stage where he was sitting with President Cyril Ramaphosa during a government event in eThekwini earlier this month.

The king attended the unveiling of a new statue of King Shaka in eThekwini with Ramaphosa on November 7. The unidentified woman, wearing a cream dress, scarf and sunglasses, rushed on stage wanting to speak to him. She was whisked away by security officials before she could reach him but this did not deter her as she fought with them.

Speaking at the annual eNyokeni royal palace prayer attended by hundreds of Nazareth Baptist Church (Shembe) members in KwaZulu Natal at the weekend, the king said he knew the woman and her public stunt was a desperate call for help.

“There is a lot that has been said by people on social media. Some say she is my girlfriend. How do they know that? It is painful to be given something that is not yours. Let me make it clear, she is not my girlfriend. I am a king who speaks the truth,” he said as the crowd ululated kingship salutations.

Misuzulu said the woman, from the Ngcobo clan, was pained by his family members seeking to dethrone him. The throne has been contested by Misuzulu’s half-brother, Prince Simakade kaZwelithini.

“Let me clarify. I know the young woman. I even know her pain, but she is not my woman. She was jumping towards me because she is in real trouble. I am here to help you [the public] when you are in trouble. I will help her because I am the king of the nation. She is my person because she is part of the Zulu nation, she is from the Ngcobo clan. I cannot talk about her problem in public.

“What happened to her is very painful and it is being done by my family members who are fighting me over the kingship. She is their girlfriend. We are working on this problem. I want you to get the whole truth. I apologise to you, I did not come here for that but I needed to clarify.”

The king married his third wife Nomzama Myeni this year. The couple tied the knot in May.

The king’s first wife is Queen Ntokozo Mayisela-Zulu and his second wife is Queen Nozizwe Mulela-Zulu.