Africa
Zuma criticised for staging his fifth wedding ceremony
South African President Jacob Zuma has stirred debate over polygamy with his recent traditional wedding to Thobeka Mad iba (right), his fifth wife. Photo/ REUTERS
Posted Tuesday, January 5 2010 at 18:14
In Summary
- Leader of Christian party describes event as a sign of steps in the wrong direction
Local celebrities and music stars like Yvonne Chaka Chaka also attended the ceremony under overcast skies, with a gentle drizzle seen as a sign of blessing in African culture.
The president’s other wives are Sizakele Khumalo, whom he married in 1973, and Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma, whom he married in 2007.
Home Affairs Minister
He was previously married to current Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, whom he divorced in 1998, and Kate Mantsho Zuma, who committed suicide in 2000. She left a note stating that life with her husband was “hell.”
While preparations for Monday’s wedding were underway, President Zuma was already preparing for his sixth marriage to Gloria Bongi Ngema from Durban.
Her family presented umbondo (gifts) to the Zuma family at the end of December. Umbondo is the last traditional ceremony before the wedding. (Agencies)
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