Zuma, who turned 70 last week, already has a three year old son with his soon to be new wife Gloria Bongekile Ngema, who he will marry in a traditional ceremony in his home village of Nkandla next weekend. She will then take her place in Nkandla, which was recently entirely renovated by Zuma to the tune of R64 million.
The Presidency has since been fast to dispel rumours that the tax payer would be funding for the wedding ceremony, or the maintenance of the growing Zuma family, saying the President’s spouses “pay their own living expenses.”
"Nothing is paid for by the State in the four households of the spouses. They live in private homes,” said Zuma’s spokesperson Mac Maharaj.
Maharaj did however state that the Presidency did provide “support for spouse participation at official functions and provided a total of 60 domestic economy class flights a year for child and child-minder travel.”
This is the sixth time that Zuma will be legally wed. He divorced the now Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in 1998. Meanwhile another wife, Kate Zuma, committed suicide in 2000, after writing a letter in which she described their union to Zuma as "24 years of hell".
Zuma’s other current wives are Gertrude Sizakele Khumalo, Nompumelelo Ntuli and Thobeka Madiba. He has an estimated 20 children. SW Radio Africa
Post published in: Africa News