South Africa’s Zulu king has expressed “deep” regret after a leaked video captured him hurling a barrage of insults at one of his wives.

In the video, which was widely shared on Wednesday, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini threatened to physically assault Queen Nomzamo Myeni, accused her of having an affair and said he wanted her out of the house.

The queen appeared to be the person filming the footage, remaining silent until the end of the video, when she said: “This is the life I live, day and night”.

On Friday, a statement from the king’s office said he recognised the outburst caused “pain” and “embarrassment” among royal circles and the broader Zulu ethnic group.

“It is important to clarify that the recordings are historical in nature and do not represent the present circumstances within the Royal Household,” the statement also said.

In the video, King Misuzulu criticises his wife, who he married last November, for making excursions without his approval.

“She’s out there without my permission. When you’re a wife, you ask for permission. At least let your husband know,” he told the queen, who is his third wife.

After repeatedly insulting the queen, he told her he had a girlfriend waiting for him.

“I want you out,” he said, as he left the room.

It is not clear who released the video into the public domain.

The statement from the royal household noted that on the day the video was leaked, the king and queen were receiving a group of politicians as part of their official duties.

Engagements such as this demonstrate that the “difficult circumstances” captured in the video have been replaced by “reconciliation” and “reflection”, the statement added.

Regarded as the “lion of the nation”, the Zulu king is the custodian of age-old traditions that place marriage and polygamy at the heart of royal success.

His role within South Africa may only be ceremonial, but he remains hugely influential, with a yearly government-funded budget of several million dollars.

The video has caused a sharp divide on social media – some have accused the king of displaying abusive and undignified behaviour, while others criticised the queen for airing private matters in public.

South African journalist Asanda Magaqa said that while she would never encourage anyone to film private moments, “watching that video, I understand why she felt compelled to record it”.

“No woman deserves to live like that,” she wrote on social media platform X.

The footage also showed the king saying he became a monarch through witchcraft. King Misuzulu’s coronation came after a year-long family feud, with some royals arguing that he was not the rightful heir and that his father’s will had been forged.

Zulu society is deeply patriarchal, with women often expected to comply with traditional gender norms.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world.

Last year, South Africa classified gender-based violence (GBV) as a “national disaster”.

The king’s marriage to Queen Myeni was delayed for months last year as he dealt with a scandal involving his first wife, Queen Ntokozo kaMayisela.

Queen kaMayisela went to court in a bid to halt the wedding, arguing that her husband would be committing the offence of “bigamy” without first “converting” his civil marriage to her into a traditional Zulu marriage.

But the judge threw out her case, saying Queen kaMayisela had a “turnaround” in attitude as she had already agreed that her husband could take other wives. (BBC)

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