Sibongile Dlamini

Queen Sibongile Winifred Dlamini is the first wife of the late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.

Background

Husband

Queen Sibongile Dlamini married King Goodwill Zwelithini in 1969, two years before he assumed his role as Zulu king.

Children

Queen Sibongile Dlamini and King Goodwill Zwelithini have five children together.^[1]

The children are; Lethukuthula Zulu, Nombuso Zulu, Ntombizosuthu Zulu-Duma, Sinethemba Bati Zulu, and Ntandoyenkosi Zulu^[2]

Fight For Zulu Throne

Queen Sibongile Dlamini filed an urgent application at the Pietermaritzburg High Court as she fought for the Zulu throne and sought to inherit 50% of late King Goodwill Zwelithini's estate.

She listed KwaZulu-Natal premier, Sihle Zikalala as one of the many respondents. In the affidavit which is 35 pages long, Sibongile Dlamini claimed she was abducted (ukuthwala) to marry the king.

She said she wanted 50% of the late King's estate arguing that everything belonged to her and the late king.

She said the late Queen Mantfombi Dlamini cannot ascend to the throne because she was only customarily married to the late king.^[3]

Sibongile Dlamini also sought to interdict the execution of the will of King Goodwill Zwelithini claiming it may be fraudulent.^[4]

Ruling

In a ruling on 2 March 2021, KwaZulu-Natal High Court Judge Isaac Madondo dismissed Queen Sibongile Dlamini's application to have 50% of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini's will set aside for herself.^[5]