Mafela owns up to an affair

| Monday June 7, 2010 00:00

As the news broke this week that Zuma's second wife, MaNtuli, had allegedly cheated on her husband with a bodyguard, the actor owned up to the Sunday Times that he had had an affair with her years ago.

Mafela, known as S'dumo by his fans, still has to come clean to his wife of more than 30 years about the relationship with MaNtuli. In an exclusive interview, Mafela said: 'Where do I start explaining this to my wife and children? 'I don't want to tear my family apart.

'The matter is very sensitive. These things happened years ago, before she even met the president. I don't want to be in the president's bad books.' Mafela's admission comes after a Durban newspaper, Ilanga, reported that MaNtuli allegedly had an affair with one of her bodyguards behind Zuma's back.

An unsigned letter from a 'concerned family member' leaked to various newspapers claims that 'MaNtuli is nothing but trouble in our father's life and bad for the image of the country.' The letter also states that she met Zuma at the Hilton Hotel, where she worked as a cleaner.

Zuma was a frequent visitor at the Durban hotel. The letter says that after MaNtuli married Zuma in January 2008, she started showing her 'true colours'. After the matter went public, relatives close to MaNtuli spoke of an affair with Mafela.

Mafela points out that in terms of Zulu tradition, MaNtuli's family ought to have informed Zuma's family about the affair during the lobola negotiations. 'I am not the one who is supposed to tell the president about it, but her family,' he says.

MaNtuli, who is believed to be pregnant, is alleged to have been caught in bed with bodyguard Phina Thomo on December 17 last year. Thomo, from Dobsonville in Soweto, has committed suicide.

A friend of his who asked not to be named says Thomo left a suicide note in which he confessed the affair.

'Some of the bodyguards even boycotted his funeral because they were still angry with him for sleeping with the second first lady. He was supposed to guard her,' says the friend, who claims MaNtuli attended Thomo's funeral.

The president's nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, dismisses claims that Zuma has called an urgent family meeting at Nkandla today.  He says: 'There is no meeting because there is no crisis.'

Zuma was on a state visit to India with MaNtuli when the story broke this week. His son Edward claims the family had nothing to do with the letter. He says: 'We don't know anything about that letter. That is all we are prepared to say for now.' Zuma's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya refuses to comment on the matter. (Sunday World)