In Swaziland's tradition, the first two wives come from different locally known specific clans.
Where the first wife must hail from the Matsabula clan and the other from the Motsa clan.
Surprisingly, none of these two wives' sons can rise to the position to be king.
It appears that the national councilors also take part in choosing the wives. Their mandate is to choose for the king the first two wives.
This comes as complex rules of succession. According to tradition, he can marry his fiancées only after they become pregnant proving they can bear heirs, until then they are termed 'concubines'.
The king, thereafter, has the freedom to choose wives from the other clans. There are at least 17 founding clans in the Eswatini Kingdom.
It is recommended that the king marry from the different clans in Eswatini to encourage national integration.
That explains why King Mswati the Third has many wives.
King Mswati the Third considers his third wife to be the senior most.
She is the first one he chose for himself.
The first two were ceremonial brides picked by the royal family.
The 3rd wife is deeply religious and is the first Swazi queen to record a gospel album.
She also is the first Swazi queen to continue her education after marrying the king. She finished a law degree by correspondence from the University of South Africa.
Two of King Mswatti III's wives are deceased. While another two got divorced.
The king's love and family story intrigues many – not only in Africa but in other parts of the world.
The newly wedded spouse is called Liphovela. She takes the title of the wife of the King when she conceives the first child.
The king’s latest bride also comes from a large polygamous family. The 21-year-old is the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma.
Jacob Zuma, aged 82, has been married six times and currently has four wives and more than 20 children.
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