Just when she thought she would spend her first Christmas as Abathembu Queen, her marriage to King Dalidyebo has fallen apart. Established businesswoman, author, and philanthropist, Nolubabala 'Babsi' Mcinga, now named Queen Khazeka Nolulabalo Mcinga Dalindyebo (42) and AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo (59) are going their separate ways after only three months of marriage.

A FORCED MARRIAGE

Queen Khazeka is currently grieving the loss of her close friend and singer Zahara but says this had not only been a trying time for her grieving but her marriage to King Dalinndyebo has been "one of the toughest times' in her life. "I pray every night at midnight and the King hates this. He would ask me to stop praying for him but he initially said he loved me because of my faith,' Queen Khazeka tells ZiMoja. "I have endured a lot and have been patient. But it has taken a toll on me emotionally. He called our union a forced marriage. He would leave me one day and the next check on me,' she says adding that, "I am being damaged because there are a lot of internal and family disputes that are affecting me. He hires and fires royal staff. I came in to help build the home of the King. He also doesn't want me to own a phone at all and because I didn't oblige, he was monitoring all my calls. I am being blocked from speaking at major events, and I am being blocked because of my husband's issues. This is just the surface. I don't wish to go too deep into the issues at the royal house, as I still respect the King but i am not okay.' Queen Khazeka says she is in hiding from her husband. "I didn't think me loving a controversial king would backfire and affect all aspects of my life, including my career which I built long before we met."

QUEEN'S STATEMENT

Queen Khazeka has also released a statement saying that in August 2023, the AbaThembu King, took a decidedly unconventional approach when he proposed marriage to her without lobola. "Breaking with the long-standing tradition of lobola, he believed that this customary practice contradicted his newfound commitment to walking with Christ and adhering to His commandments,' the statement reads. "His Majesty approached the Queen and spoke to her about his unwavering faith. He shared with her that he had fervently prayed for a woman of God, someone like her, to stand by his side as his wife. Persuaded by his promises and the shared vision of serving the Lord together, the Queen accepted his marriage proposal.' Queen Khazeka, a staunch Christian, accepted the King's proposal and embraced the role of Queen. "The allegations of incest against His Majesty, as well as other unimaginable transgressions concealed from the public eye, cast a dark shadow upon the integrity and reputation of the Royal Family, especially, the Queen,' the statement goes on to say. "These grave accusations have not only destabilised the Queen's spiritual well-being and shattered her credibility, but they have also had a detrimental impact on her professional pursuits and interactions with clients and stakeholders before her marriage to the King. The Royal House, fully aware of the disturbing claims and the surrounding aura of secrecy engulfing His Majesty, finds itself paralysed with fear, unwilling to seek outside assistance that could provide medical attention and necessary support for the King. The deep-rooted love and adoration the nation holds for their ruler instill in the Royal House an intense fear of relinquishing their cherished positions within the state's hierarchy.'

FINANCES

Queen Khazeka reveals that the most distressing of all is the King's "cunning ability to out maneuver any appeals for intervention or resort to the strategic usage of finances to evade any potential legal consequences that may jeopardise his parole conditions,' she says. She claims to have endured "significant economic hardship, physical distress, and emotional turmoil due to the deceitful actions of His Majesty "an alarming indicator of a possible mental disorder. The financial toll inflicted upon her is staggering, amounting to a loss of business opportunities exceeding R450K since the commencement of their union.'

THE PAST

This was the King's sixth marriage and it came after the controversial King's pending divorce from his first wife, Queen Nokwanda. Queen Nokwanda was in the process of dissolving their union, as it prevented him from taking and protecting another queen. According to the royal family, His Majesty had informed Queen Nokwanda of his intentions to marry again. "He is not divorcing to end the relationship with Queen Nokwanda but to change the status of their marriage from civil to customary marriage so that we as his wives are treated equally according to the laws," Queen Khazeka said. Queen Khazeka is a member of the uMagxongo royal family, and their marriage recently took place at Gonubie Baptist Church, followed by a traditional welcoming (wedding) on 25 November 2023. Prince Langalibalele Mthunzi Ngonyama who is the spokesperson for the royal house tells ZiMoja he cannot confirm a separation but ceremonies that were meant to take place in November this year have been postponed until further notice. "I know they scheduled an introduction, into ka tsiki (welcoming of the bride) was postponed."