King Mswati III of Eswatini and his new wife, 21-year-old Nomcebo Zuma, who is the daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, had a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday.
The meeting lasted about 30 minutes, during which they discussed the Pope’s role in the Catholic Church and other significant issues.
This visit to the Vatican is part of a larger three-country trip that is expected to cost around R200 million, which is notable considering that around 70% of Eswatini’s population lives in poverty.
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The trip also includes a state visit to Serbia and attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.
King Mswati praised the Pope’s leadership and encouraged the Catholic community to keep up their positive contributions worldwide.
After their meeting with the Pope, the King and his group explored the Vatican, including the famous St. Peter’s Basilica.
Nomcebo Zuma was recently welcomed as the King’s 16th wife.
However, her father, Jacob Zuma, has shown disapproval of the marriage and did not participate in their engagement or wedding ceremony. Reports indicate that King Mswati paid a dowry of R2 million along with 100 cows.
