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The Office of His Majesty King Misuzulu kaZwelithini issued a statement Friday confirming the monarch’s deep regret for the pain disappointment and embarrassment caused by his words in the leaked recordings. The statement described the footage as historical and emphasised that it does not reflect the present circumstances within the royal household which the king said have moved toward reconciliation and reflection. The office extended the apology to members of the royal family traditional leaders the broader Zulu nation and religious figures while underlining the need for dignity in the monarch’s conduct.
Footage circulated widely on social media earlier this week purportedly captured the king berating Queen Nomzamo Myeni while holding a bottle accusing her of leaving without permission and making infidelity claims. In one segment the queen who appeared to be recording responded “This is the life I live day and night” as the king told her “I want you out” and referenced becoming monarch through witchcraft according to reports from The Witness and Daily Sun. The Citizen added that separate clips also included insults directed at a leader of the Nazareth Baptist Church known as Shembe with a woman attempting to calm the situation.
Social media reactions split sharply with some users condemning the king’s language as abusive and undignified while others questioned why the queen recorded private matters. One X user Asanda Magaqa wrote that no woman deserves to live like that after viewing the clip. The king’s office noted the videos surfaced on the same day the couple hosted politicians as part of official duties highlighting the contrast with their current reconciled state.
A Human Sciences Research Council study released in November 2024 found that 36 percent of South African women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes while 24 percent reported such violence from intimate partners. The survey also revealed that nearly 70 percent of male respondents believed a wife should obey her husband and 15 percent felt a husband had the right to punish his wife. South African authorities classified gender-based violence as a national disaster last year amid one of the world’s highest rates of femicide and intimate partner killings.
King Misuzulu has previously spoken out against gender-based violence including leading a 2023 march in Umlazi where he urged men to confront the issue according to reports from that period by Sputnik Africa and eNCA. During the event the monarch highlighted alarming statistics on unreported rapes and called for collective responsibility. The current controversy arrives despite that public stance and amid ongoing debates over traditional gender norms in deeply patriarchal Zulu society.
The king’s 2022 coronation followed a year-long family feud in which some royals challenged his legitimacy claiming his father King Goodwill Zwelithini’s will had been forged as documented by BBC coverage at the time. Misuzulu was officially recognised by the government in 2021 but the traditional ceremony at Moses Mabhida Stadium drew thousands despite the divisions. The Zulu monarch holds a largely ceremonial role within South Africa yet remains highly influential as custodian of traditions that place marriage and polygamy at the centre of royal life with an annual government-funded budget of several million dollars.
The incident has drawn additional coverage from outlets including The Citizen and Swaziland Democratic News which reported the statement’s call for compassion and emphasised that the recordings stem from an emotionally charged past moment. No details have emerged on who leaked the material or its exact original date. The royal household continues official engagements while the statement urged the public to view the matter as resolved.
