Sun, 03 Jan 2010
Johannesburg (Earth Times - dpa) - The stage was set in South African President Jacob Zuma's home village of Nkandla on Sunday for one of the world's most famous polygamists to marry his third wife. Zuma is to marry Thobeka Mabhija in a traditional Zulu ceremony in his native KwaZulu-Natal province on Monday in the presence of dozens of relatives, community members and political and business leaders, family members have confirmed to local media.
Zuma, 67, has been engaged to Mabhija, who is in her late thirties, since 2007. The couple are reported to already have children together.
Zuma is also married to Sizakele Khumalo, his first wife, whom he married in 1973 and Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma, whom he married in early 2008 and who is in her mid-thirties.
All three "first ladies" were present at his inauguration as president in May and have taken turn in accompanying him to official events.
Zuma and Mabhija's relationship was sealed around two years ago, when he paid lobolo (bride price) to her family, in keeping with local tradition.
Polygamy is mainly practiced by rural Zulu men, but a number of wealthy, urbanized Zulu men also have several wives.
Some gender and health activists have criticized the practice, saying that multiple concurrent partners contribute to the spread of the deadly HIV virus and undermine the status of women.
Zuma has hit back by pointing out that many men have affairs and that he prefers to formalize his relationships by marrying his girlfriends.
Since he became president, the matter of his wives have received scant attention in the media, compared to a stricken economy and continued infighting in the ruling African National Congress.
The marriage will be Zuma's fifth in total.
He was also married to Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma, but the two divorced in 1998. Another of his wives, Kate Mantsho Zuma, committed suicide in 2000.
Johannesburg (Earth Times - dpa) - The stage was set in South African President Jacob Zuma's home village of Nkandla on Sunday for one of the world's most famous polygamists to marry his third wife. Zuma is to marry Thobeka Mabhija in a traditional Zulu ceremony in his native KwaZulu-Natal province on Monday in the presence of dozens of relatives, community members and political and business leaders, family members have confirmed to local media.
Zuma, 67, has been engaged to Mabhija, who is in her late thirties, since 2007. The couple are reported to already have children together.
Zuma is also married to Sizakele Khumalo, his first wife, whom he married in 1973 and Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma, whom he married in early 2008 and who is in her mid-thirties.
All three "first ladies" were present at his inauguration as president in May and have taken turn in accompanying him to official events.
Zuma and Mabhija's relationship was sealed around two years ago, when he paid lobolo (bride price) to her family, in keeping with local tradition.
Polygamy is mainly practiced by rural Zulu men, but a number of wealthy, urbanized Zulu men also have several wives.
Some gender and health activists have criticized the practice, saying that multiple concurrent partners contribute to the spread of the deadly HIV virus and undermine the status of women.
Zuma has hit back by pointing out that many men have affairs and that he prefers to formalize his relationships by marrying his girlfriends.
Since he became president, the matter of his wives have received scant attention in the media, compared to a stricken economy and continued infighting in the ruling African National Congress.
The marriage will be Zuma's fifth in total.
He was also married to Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma, but the two divorced in 1998. Another of his wives, Kate Mantsho Zuma, committed suicide in 2000.
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