She was discovered at the eSwatini reed dance in 2003. That is the event where King Mswati III of the Swazis would typically select his bride. To “learn Zulu culture,” Queen Mantfombi, sister of the Swazi king and third wife of the Zulu king, took her away from her family’s modest sugarcane estate in Swaziland’s Simunye area. She lived with Queen Mantfombi at the KwaKhangela Palace for ten years before her 2014 wedding to King Zwelithini. Zola has two brothers and three sisters, making her the youngest of six children. Queen Mantfombi of Swaziland, Zwelithini’s third wife, saw Zola in the reed dance in 2003.

The King, Zwelithini Goodwill

In 2005, at the young age of 18, she gave birth to Prince Nhlendla. Despite King Zwelithini’s payment of lobolo, the wedding was postponed multiple times. Zwelithini explained to the crowd in 2008 that the wedding was postponed after Mafu’s father passed away in 2007. The Mafu family was still in grief, so the wedding had to be postponed. So that the bride’s mother could be present at the ceremony, it was decided to put it off.

 
Even after the mourning period ended, further waiting time ensued due to family disputes over who should be given lobolo.

Rumor has it that a shift of power in KwaZulu-Natal from the IFP to the ANC caused construction delays on her Ulundi house, Ondini Palace.

A wedding over the weekend put that in the past, though.

It was her first time performing in public, and the Queen wowed the crowd with her charisma and coquettish charm through dance and singing. As is customary for a Zulu bride, she walked into the Ulundi stadium wrapped in a blanket and handed the covering to her future mother-in-law, Queen Mavis Zungu, before emerging from the cacoon like a beautiful butterfly.

She then proceeded to captivate the king, amakhosi, guests, and journalists.

Among the thousands of maidens who attended the reed dances in 2002 and 2003, her charisma and brilliance likely made her stand out.

After her exceptional performance at the 2002 Umhlanga Reed Dance fertility ritual and the 2003 Swazi reed dance, she was singled out for remarkable praise by the Swazi press and royal courtiers. Typically, the reed dances take place in the fall, around the months of August and September.

Charles Mathebula, who covered the Swazi royal family at the time, remarked, “She is exceptionally attractive and although she is a commoner, she already carries herself with the grace of a princess.”

“Zola was a fantastic people person, but she was also very intelligent and a lot of fun to hang out with. Classmate Sandile Bhembe told reporters, “We all felt she would go far.”

She was also an informal lady-in-waiting to Liphovela Noliqwa, the fiancee of King Mswati III.

She was honored as 2003’s “most popular” matriculant by her peers at Mbabane’s elite St. Marks High School.

Zola has three sisters and two brothers, making her the youngest of six kids. She led the research committee at the Mbabane/Mbuluzi Rotary Club and was a stellar student all around. Still, she is shrouded in mystery in Zululand. For the past ten years, she has been kept secret at the KwaNongoma palace, possibly due to scandal, possibly due to etiquette. The royal family members who attended the wedding reception on Sunday night reportedly commented, “We don’t know her. Since arriving in the country, she has not been seen in public. She is currently imprisoned in the royal palace. There are no (group) assignments for her to complete. She will become more visible in public now that she is queen.