South Africa: ANC leader Jacob Zuma to wed fifth wife

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By Miriam Mannak

Just a year after tying the knot for the fourth time, Jacob Zuma - the president of South Africa's ruling party, the ANC - is to wed his fifth wive. 

According to the South African media Zuma's wife-to-be Thobeka Mabhija, who has a child with him, has presented various gifts to her in-laws. This is called Umbondo.  According to Zulu tradition,  Zuma has already paid his fiancé's family a dowry or Lobolo. 

In January 2008, Zuma married his fourth wife, Nompumelelo Ntuli, of KwaMaphumulo, at his homestead at Nkandla. Prior their marriage, they had two children together. This was almost 50 years after he tied the knot with spouse number one - Sizakele Khumalo.

Zuma, who has a fair chance of becoming South Africa's next president, was also married to South Africa's foreign minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, but they divorced in 1998. Another wife - Kate - died in 2000.

In 2005, the lives of Zuma's wives were a hot discussion topic after the politician - back then South Africa's Vice President - was accused of raping an HIV positive woman. He was acquitted, in the end.

Nevertheless, Zuma was subjected to a wave of criticism after he openly admitted that he had unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV positive woman.  This sparked outrage among  AIDS organizations, who claimed he deliberately put the lives of his spouses and children in danger.

According to Zuma, however, there was no danger at all as he had taken a shower after the deed.