Writer: John Laband | Photographs: Supplied                

Just four years after ascending the Zulu throne in 1948 at just 24 years old, Cyrprian Bhekuzulu Nyangayezizwe kaSolomon was embroiled in a scandal that threatened to upend his short reign. So serious was this scandal that it had divided the royal family and threatened to split the nation.

Before ascending the throne, the then Prince had married two women. Queens Priscilla Masuku (who bore him no male children) and Thomozile Jezangani Ndwandwe (a direct descendant of Chief Zwide KaLanga, one of King Shaka’s most formidable foes before the creation of the Kingdom).

Because of her elevated status, Queen Thomozile became Cyprian’s Great Wife. And shortly after his Coronation, Thomozile bore Cyprian a son – future heir, Goodwill Zwelithini ka Cyprian.

But shortly after becoming King, the young King Cyprian became infatuated with a divorced commoner and mother of two who was nearly twice his age.

His affair with this woman (Joyce Thokozile Jali) enraged the royal family. And leading the charge against Cyprian was his uncle and former Regent, Prince Arthur Edward Mshiyeni kaDinuzulu who had been Regent or uMntwana Omkhulu from 1934 to 1948.

Prince Mshiyeni (whom the famous hospital in Umlazi is named after) had opposed Cyprian’s claim to the throne. He used the scandal to argue that his nephew had proved him right and Cyprian was unfit to lead because he had thrown the nation into disrepute.

Under pressure to fend off the attacks, Cyprian turned to an unlikely ally – his first cousin, the young but already politically savvy Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi. The two were close, having grown up together at King Solomon’s KwaDlamahlahla Palace.

Buthelezi was first cousins with King Cyprian through his mother as King Cyprian’s father was also Buthelezi’s uncle.

Buthelezi used this relationship plus his status as the heir apparent of the influential Buthelezi Chieftaincy (with its deep historical ties to the Royal Family) to cajole, persuade and indeed intimidate all the Zulu Chiefs to throw their weight behind Cyprian.

When the Chiefs came out strongly in support of Cyprian, Prince Mshiyeni and his faction within the family cowered and abandoned their mission to remove Cyprian from the throne.

To reward Mangosuthu for his loyalty and deft political skills, Cyprian named him as his Prime Minister.

Buthelezi would ofcourse go on to hold the role for nearly 70 years, serving three Kings and playing a decisive hand in two succession battles – those of King Zwelithini kaCyprian and current King Misuzulu KaZwelithini.

Emboldened, King Cyprian broke with all royal protocol and decided to marry Joyce Thokozile Jali in August 1954.

He became estranged (but never divorced) his first two wives (Queens kaMasuku and MaNdwandwe) and moved out of his father’s KwaDlamahlahla Palace and built himself and MaJali a modest but modern palace in the outskirts of Nongoma.

He then defiantly named it: KwaKhethomthandayo.

*This article was taken from The Eight Zulu Kings and compiled by Msizi Khoza for Culture Review.