After his 21st birthday and his first marriage, Zwelithini was installed as the eighth monarch of the Zulus at a traditional ceremony at Nongoma on 3 December 1971, attended by 20,000 people.
Setelah hari ulang tahunnya ke-21 dan pernikahan pertamanya, Zwelithini dilantik menjadi penguasa Zulu kedelapan di sebuah upacara tradisional di Nongoma pada 3 Desember 1971, yang dihadiri oleh 20,000 orang.