South Africa’s President Jacob
Zuma has set rumour mills agog
by hinting that he may marry
again.
During a visit to a Durban
township on Tuesday, the 72-year-
old leader who already has four
wives, said in Zulu: “Angakayakhi
indlu yokugugela… laba
ngisabathathile nje” (I do have
wives but I’m yet to marry my last
one).
The crowd, most of them elderly,
laughed and cheered, The Star
newspaper said in its report on
Wednesday.
Zuma, who on Sunday said he was
in “perfect condition” after a stay
in hospital in June, had earlier
given a speech about the need to
respect and tend for older people.
Sihawu Ngubane, a professor at
KwaZulu-Natal University in
Durban, was quoted by the
newspaper as saying it was fairly
standard among Zulu people for a
man who practises polygamy to
take a last wife for his final years,
sometimes the younger sister of
one of his wives.
“They call the last wife ‘indlu
yokugugela’ (the home in which I
will age in) because the
responsibility of looking after the
husband in their old age
predominantly lies with the junior
wife, who is often younger than the
otherwives and more agile in case
there is an emergency,” he said.
Some South Africans reacted to the
rumour with support.
“Good for him and the wife to be,”
said radio presenter Sebenzile
Nkambule on Twitter. “Why are
people upset? It’s THEIR culture.
You don’t like it, don’t be
polygamous.”
But with over 20 children, and four
wives currently on the state’s
budget, Zuma has also been
harshly criticised for hitting
taxpayers’ pockets with his
personal life after refurbishments
to his private home — including a
swimming pool and amphitheatre.
The $21 million refurbishments
were paid for with public funds
under the guise of “security
upgrades”.
“He can marry 10 wives …. but WE,
the people, should not have to foot
the bill,” commented reader Matt
Howard on The Star’s website.
Zuma has set rumour mills agog
by hinting that he may marry
again.
During a visit to a Durban
township on Tuesday, the 72-year-
old leader who already has four
wives, said in Zulu: “Angakayakhi
indlu yokugugela… laba
ngisabathathile nje” (I do have
wives but I’m yet to marry my last
one).
The crowd, most of them elderly,
laughed and cheered, The Star
newspaper said in its report on
Wednesday.
Zuma, who on Sunday said he was
in “perfect condition” after a stay
in hospital in June, had earlier
given a speech about the need to
respect and tend for older people.
Sihawu Ngubane, a professor at
KwaZulu-Natal University in
Durban, was quoted by the
newspaper as saying it was fairly
standard among Zulu people for a
man who practises polygamy to
take a last wife for his final years,
sometimes the younger sister of
one of his wives.
“They call the last wife ‘indlu
yokugugela’ (the home in which I
will age in) because the
responsibility of looking after the
husband in their old age
predominantly lies with the junior
wife, who is often younger than the
otherwives and more agile in case
there is an emergency,” he said.
Some South Africans reacted to the
rumour with support.
“Good for him and the wife to be,”
said radio presenter Sebenzile
Nkambule on Twitter. “Why are
people upset? It’s THEIR culture.
You don’t like it, don’t be
polygamous.”
But with over 20 children, and four
wives currently on the state’s
budget, Zuma has also been
harshly criticised for hitting
taxpayers’ pockets with his
personal life after refurbishments
to his private home — including a
swimming pool and amphitheatre.
The $21 million refurbishments
were paid for with public funds
under the guise of “security
upgrades”.
“He can marry 10 wives …. but WE,
the people, should not have to foot
the bill,” commented reader Matt
Howard on The Star’s website.
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