Court dismisses bid by Amazulu Queen to amend affidavit

Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Isaac Madondo has dismissed an application by the first wife and widow of AmaZulu King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu to amend her founding affidavit.

Queen Sibongile Dlamini-Zulu and her two daughters, Princesses Ntandoyenkosi Zulu and Ntombizosuthu Zulu-Duma, are challenging the validity of his will.

On Tuesday, Queen Sibongile Zulu’s legal team, led by Advocate Nigel Redman, told the court that the late-king as precluded from marrying other queens.

Handing down his judgment for the amendment of her affidavit, Madondo said that the applicant had not indicated that she might amend the document.

He further told the court that allowing an amendment would have far-reaching consequences even for the children of the other queens and widows.

Dlamini-Zulu is asking the court to assert her right to 50% of the late AmaZulu King’s estate based on her civil marriage to him.

Proceedings of the hearing :

The Queen also wants the court to rule on the validity of the king’s five customary marriages.

Zulu regiments, Amabutho ignored the directive by the AmaZulu Prime Minister Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi to desist from going to the Pietermaritzburg High Court.

The civil matter was brought before the court by the first wife of the late AmaZulu King. The Queen married the King in community of property in 1969 under civil law.

Her lawyers argued that their civil marriage precluded the king from entering into other polygamous marriages.

King Zwelithini married five other wives under customary law following his civil marriage to the Queen.

– Additional reporting by Simphiwe Makhanya