By Gaure Mdee
The Kingdom of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, has a unique tradition, where the king is allowed to marry several wives.
King Mswati the Third, who rules the southern African nation, has been married to 15 women, and has about 36 children.
The king's love and family story is one that intrigues many – not only in Africa, but other parts of the world.
Let us take a look at the criteria used in selecting the king's wives.
His first two wives are selected by a special council. None of these two wives' sons can rise to the position of king.
According to tradition, the king's first wife must hail from the Matsebula clan, while the second one must be a member of the Motsa clan.
The king, thereafter, has the freedom to choose wives from the other clans. There are at least 17 founding clans in Eswatini Kingdom.
The title
The king's successor can come from one of the subsequent wives. And it is important to note that no king has the freehand to choose his successor.
A special team called Liqoqo convenes to decide who among the king's spouses takes the title of the main or great wife. Just like the first wife, the main wife has to be a member of the Matsebula clan.
The next king is chosen among the main wife's male children, and he must be single at the time of his coronation. If he is underage, the throne will be held in trust until he comes of age.
It is recommended that the king marries from the different clans in Eswatini to encourage national integration. That explains why King Mswati the Third has many wives.
The king's newly-married spouse is called Liphovela, and she takes the title wife of the king when she conceives her first child.
Two of King Mswati the Third's wives are deceased, while another two got divorced.
Eswatini is an absolute monarchy, meaning the king enjoys overwhelming power, but can take advice from the country's parliament.
Fifty-five-year-old King Mswati the Third has ruled Eswatini since April 1986.
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