JOHANNESBURG, April 20 (Reuters) – South Africa’s polygamous
President Jacob Zuma married for the sixth time on Friday,
taking his long-time girlfriend Bongi Ngema as his newest bride
and fourth current wife in a private ceremony at his rural home.
Ngema, an activist and former information technology worker,
is well known in South Africa and has already accompanied the
president on foreign visits.
The ceremony raised few eyebrows in a country where polygamy
is legal and an integral part of Zuma’s Zulu culture.
The two had a traditional Zulu wedding and “the bride and
groom later participated in the traditional competitive
celebratory dance,” the presidency said in a statement.
Zuma has 21 children, including a seven-year-old son with
Ngema.
The president is also married to Sizakele Zuma, Nompumelelo
Ntuli-Zuma and Tobeka Madiba-Zuma. They all attended the
ceremony.
His marriage to Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
ended in divorce. Another wife Kate Mantsho-Zuma committed
suicide in 2000.
There is no official position of First Lady in South Africa.
The presidency said none of the wives had a constitutional role
or received any state funds.
(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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