South African President Zuma Prepares For 6th Wedding
Monday, April 16, 2012Omoba
70-year-old South African president Jacob Zuma is to marry
his long-time fiancée, Bongi Ngema, next weekend, the Sunday Times reported in
its early edition on Saturday evening.
The president’s spokesperson, Mac Maharaj,
confirmed to the newspaper that the president would formalise his relationship
with Ngema at a private traditional ceremony in Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal.
“I can confirm that President Zuma will formalise his relationship with his fiancee, Ms Bongi Ngema, in a private traditional ceremony at Nkandla this weekend,”
Maharaj told AFP.
Zuma, a known
polygamist, will be married the sixth time. He divorced Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma,
South Africa’s candidate for the African Union top post, in 1998. Another wife,
Kate, committed suicide in 2000.
“The president
currently has three wives. This will be his fourth wife,” Maharaj said.
The president, who
turned 70 last Thursday, is believed to have fathered around 20 children. Ngema,
who accompanied Zuma on a state visit to the G20 summit in South Korea last
year, has a three-year-old son with him. She has a business degree among other
academic qualifications.
Nkandla was recently
renovated for 64 million rands ($8 million, 6 million euros), the Sunday Times
reported. Zuma’s adventures with
women have often sparked controversy. In 2006 he was acquitted of rape charges
after having consensual sex with an HIV-positive activist and family friend. He
famously told the court he had taken a shower to protect himself against
infection.
In 2009 he fathered a
child with the daughter of 2010 World Cup local chief Irvin Khoza on the eve of
the global event.
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