Zuma lifts veil over 'First Lady'

Nikita Geldenhuys
Correspondent | Wednesday May 13, 2009 00:00

 

Many South Africans now see her as the country's 'First Lady'.

'This is MaKhumalo, my eldest wives,' Zuma explained to the crowd outside the Union Building in Pretoria. MaKhumalo may be the elder of Zuma's three wifes, but she still graced supporters in a flamboyant, young and lively outfit of purple and gold.

Prior to the inauguration South African media speculated that Zuma may be accompanied by all three of his wives on stage, possibly making them the First, Second and Third Ladies.

Zuma's spokesperson, Zizi Kodwa, earlier denied any allegations that there would be a First Lady at all.

According to the African National Congress such a matter is personal and the South African constitution does not demand the President to instate an official First Lady.

Kodwa did confirm however, that Zuma's three wives will be attending the ceremony and that all of his 19 his children were invited.

Zuma, a traditional Zulu polygamist, has married five times and is said to have had mistresses. He married his first wife, Khumalo, in 1973 after his release from Robben Island prison.

In 1998 he divorced from newly-appointed Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, with whom he has four daughters. Wife number three, the Mozambican Kate Mantsho, commited suicide in 2000. She was the mother of a further five of his offspring.

His current second wife Nompumelelo Ntuli Zuma, as well as his brand new wife, Thobeka Mabhija, whom he married this year were seen with him at the inauguration.

Kodwa told AFP that a great many of Zuma's loved ones were expected to come support him. 'He has invited relatives from all corners of the country'.

With Zuma now president, his wives can expect to see even less of him than they did in the past months. But MaKhumalo described her husband to the Tribune as comforting, 'jolly' and smiling when he does come home. Ntuli agreed, saying: 'He is always smiling and warm. You will never find him in a bad mood. I believe that is why people love and respect him so much'.

On the question of who will travel with Zuma to international events, political analyst Protas Madlala told BBC News that it is likely that Zuma will choose more than one wife to accompany him. 'It may be that, to avoid antagonising some of them, he takes them all to state occasions,' Madlala said.

'Or he may rotate among them, like the nightly visits'. But it seems that Zuma will have no time to waste on such visits. His party, the ANC, have promised to fulfil a five-point manifesto which focuses on crime and rural development among others.