LUDZIDZINI AND KATEMBE, MAPUTO (2 August 2025): Nothing quite prepares you for a Swazi Royal wedding like the wedding itself. There is no hint; no pre-event build-up; no leaked invitations or advance fanfare. It is a carefully kept secret until the day when the main event mushrooms from out of nowhere to erupt fireworks at a Chinese New Year.
The almost 500-person strong wedding party, that was commissioned from Ludzidzini on Thursday evening, took their time to arrive at the groom’s home on Friday night in keeping with Swazi custom. After a series of solemn songs and dances in which the women kept the forefront, the maiden of honour stepped forward to surrender the bride’s personal sleeping items including her grass woven mats, a symbolic wooden carved pillow and blankets symbolizing that she had decamped from her own family and come here to stay. As a sign of welcome, a counterpart from the groom’s side stepped forward and accepted the bedding bundle and transferred them to her new permanent bedroom. Typically, the wedding party does not sleep but dances all night in their allocated quarters.
It was the following day that word of mouth had spread throughout KaTembe and Maputo. Hundreds of people crossed the Maputo Channel to witness a never-to-be-seen royal wedding. The royal party, flush is a splendour of coordinated colours came out and danced. Typically, the dancing starts after the midday meal ensuring all-day long unbroken entertainment.
Princess’s in marriage
Princesses have always played a very important part in the nation’s diplomacy. Though Yassin Monteiro Nunes is neither royalty nor part of the leadership structures in Mozambique, the social impact of the marriage on relations between people of Mozambique and Eswatini is significant.
KaTembe, the community where Princess Sibahle has settled also has great historical and emotional significance. Baka Tembe ngemaTfonga so closely related to emaSwati mythology that their name is invoked annually during the Incwala. Before the climax of the ceremony, a strident call is issued for “emaTfonga” to get out of the Kraal. Those that must leave, are Dlamini members of the Royal Family so that the King is left to continue the ceremony with commoners.
KaTembe is the last homeland of modern EmaSwati before they migrated to Shiselweni. Dlamini eulogies recount “nine bekunene (the heritage stock), nine beluhlanga (people from the reeds) lwaka Ngwane.” Oral history says the Dlamini originated out of the sea hence “nine beluhlanga” echoing the Tembe assertion that they arrived in KaTembe “on a floating island of papyrus” and occupied the land south of Maputo Bay, straddling between Maputo in Mozambique and Mkhuze, home of the Mabhudt Tfonga, now in South Africa. The Tembe trace their ancestry to “Dhlahumba.” This is very similar Dhlambula, the early Dlamini leader. EmaSwati fled KaTembe after the slave trade following arrival of the Portuguese in 1558. They had migrated to the foothills of the Lubombo Mountain, then followed the range southward to join another branch of the Tembe, the Mabhuda Tfonga in the Mkhuze region. They left this group during the reign of Ngwane’s father Dlamini to settle on the southern slopes of the Lubombo, a place they called Nkhanini. Because of the instability of the time, Ngwane had been secreted to Godlwako, just south of Nhlangano.
In the footsteps of past princesses
Princess Sibahle is the second princess to be married to the Tembe land. An earlier aunt, Nomakhala had been married to the Mabhudu Tfonga King, Noziyingili who had sent a messenger, Nsingensinge to ask King Mswati ll for a wife. King Mswati ll sent his daughter, Nomakhala, accompanied by a sister, Zambili as inhlanti in 1865. The Tfonga had paid 100 cattle as lobolo. Unfortunately Nomakhala died shortly after the marriage and was replaced by Zambili who gave birth to Noziyingili’s heir, Ngwanasa in 1870. To this day the Tsonga attend Eswatini royal events as royal cousins.
Earlier princesses had played even more vital roles. King Somhlolo had married his daughters, Princess Phosile in a diplomatic gesture to improve relations with Zwide, principal of the Ndwandwe. That had not worked though. After Zwide was defeated and following his return from exile, Somhlolo had sent two more daughters in marriage to Shaka. That had partly worked as relations with Shaka remained good until after 1826 when Somhlolo angered Shaka by habouring Ndwandwe refugees. By then however Shaka had already executed both maidens in his reputed custom of dis-embowing any of his consorts who fell pregnant.
In his early days of exile, Somhlolo had wandered into Matiwane ka Masumpa, a distant relative descended from Ngwane l who had adopted the surname Zondo. His people had settled in the Black Mfolozi until they were ejected by Shaka. Matiwane had shown Somhlolo the rare kindness of gifting him 20 cattle on the promise that as they were both wandering refugees, if they survived, Somhlolo would marry one of his daughters to Matiwane’s son. When Matiwane tired of fighting, having been finally defeated by the British General Dundas in the battle of Bolompo in the Cape, a chagrined Matiwane had returned to his homeland intent on mending his relations with Shaka and hoping Shaka would allow him to live in peace. Alas, he had found Shaka long dead, and Dingane who was now in charge, wasted no time in executing him on what became Matiwane Hill. Matiwane’s son, Zikhali had fled to Ezulwini where Somhlolo warmly welcomed him as a son. Unfortunately Zikhali had started an illicit affair with Somhlolo’s daughter, Lomlalati and fled when this was discovered. Zikhali had reconstructed his father’s people and settled near Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. In 1845 had sent a request for a princess in line with the promise made to his father. When she heard about it, Princess Lomlalati had sent a message to the King Mswati ll: “Don’t worry about looking for who to send. That one is looking for me.”
And so, the Princess went to join her lover and was accompanied by tinhlanti Ntumbeyana and Lomandzawe and three men as advisors. They were Hayiyane, Mkhatshwa and Makhuza. By this time Zikhali had established himself at Bekkersdal at the foot of the Drakensberg where the Amangwane still live.
By 1970s, the House of Mpande had been largely dissipated. Princess Magogo who frequented the Swaziland Royal Family broached the subject of a Swazi Princess for the Zulu nation. King Sobhuza ll then elected Princess Mantfombi for marriage to King Zwelithini. She helped reconstruct the institution of Kingship and in much the same way that the Queen Mother LaZidze had done, she gave structure to the Zulu system. She is the mother of the current Zulu leader, Misuzulu.
Following her heart
When Princess Sibahle crossed both the Lubombo Mountain and the Mbuluzi River to marry into a strange community, at least she was following her heart, and unlike her predecessors who left their homeland, for a change, she, is marrying out of love. That much was clear last Thursday evening when His Majesty King Mswati lll came out for the sombre ceremony of commissioning a rare Royal wedding party. The King joined the royal family made up of Princess Sibahle sisters, brothers senior ranks of the royal family that was resplendent in a special wedding mhelwane.
The King’s words were wisdom from the heart of a parent speaking to parents, their daughters and sons.
That evening, the King Mswati who stood there was an emotional parent proud at seeing off his daughter proceed out of the comfort and security of hearth and home, and taking the bold step of going out into the world and the unknown.
Like so many parents before him, His Majesty had to cut the umbilical cord, reminding the young princess it was her decision: “I hope everyone made their decision carefully before committing to marriage.” By Swazi custom, the marriage vows are a serious permanent pledge that cannot be recanted. “Once you enter the institution of marriage, that is final because there is no return from the institution of marriage. Aakubuywa emendvweni,” His Majesty who spoke in siSwati emphasized. He said that marriage should not taken as a testing ground and warned his daughter to accord her marriage and marital family the high standards if respect and dignity for which emaSwati are known.”
Princess Sibahle has broken a record becoming the first of the King’s children to be formally married, which the King prayed should be a harbinger. “I have seen her lover when they paid me a visit. It’s my wish and prayer that they live in peace. I also pray that God bless them with children, so that we may have grandchildren,” the King said.
The King also had an important message that applied equally to the new bride as it does to all families: “A husband should always be happy in marriage and should have no reason for jealousy.”
Whether we like it or not, Princess Sibahle has become a new embassy in Mozambique. Perhaps not quite in the political sense, but her presence will add new meaning and do a lot to cement and flavour a good relationship albeit one with little direction.
The port city of Mozambique is barely 200 kilometres from Matsapha. Yet for policy attention, it could as well be 200 thousand. Ordinary people do a lot of trade in Maputo. But it is in informal transaction that supply the madobha market. The border post of Mhlumeni is open 24 hours, but little serious business passes through. There is a lot unexplored in the economic value of the two countries from which Eswatini has more to benefit.
But the social sector has always been growing, perhaps in the shadows. The highest level political figure at the wedding was former President Armando Guebuza. Many residents of Mbabane will know that the main street of Msunduza is named after him because he lived there for many years.
Most Swazis will also tell you about Estádio do Zimpeto, the stadium many have visited to support Sihlangu.
Before today, we called Mozambicans ‘Sibali’ in jest. From now on, that takes a new, real meaning.
In Maputo as in Eswatini and further, as far as the internet will go, they are still talking about the 3-day Royal wedding and will probably do so long after the memorable bi-national three-day event.
Who is Monteiro
The groom nation knows exactly what they are getting – a princess. But they are, for the first time, now curious about their western neighbour beyond the Lubombo range. They are reading newspapers and scanning the internet for clues.
From out of nowhere, a colleague Luis Nhachote sent through an Eswatini Sunday newspaper poster declaring: WIFE ARRESTED FOR VIEWING HUSBAND’S WHATSAPP MESSAGES with the simple comment “serious country.” Similarly, in Eswatini, possibly not verbalized out of respect, the question lingers in the air: Who is Yassine Monteiro Nunes. He is the son Nelson Mário Monteiro Nunes, CEO of the National Institute of Land Transportation (INATRO), who previously served at ANE and at the former INAV.
But in Maputo they say Yassine is a successful young businessman who is more than pulling his own weight in trade.
He is also not a stranger in Eswatini. He has been participating in national events since at least 2023 when he was pictured at Umhlanga amidst the King’s sons.
jm/today/2 August 2025
