INLSA
Madiba Zuma
Despite tight security, President Jacob Zuma’s wife Thobeka Madiba Zuma has fallen prey to thieves. Although the president’s spouses are provided with security from the police’s VIP protection unit, two have been the target of thieves in a matter of months.
Yesterday KwaZulu-Natal police confirmed that they were investigating a theft which apparently took place at the home of Madiba Zuma this month.
When The Mercury initially enquired about the theft of the money, estimated to be in the region of R40 000, sources said it had been stolen from her handbag at a restaurant.
However, police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker said: “It is alleged that an undisclosed amount of cash from the complainant’s handbag was removed by an unknown person at her residence early this month. Nothing else was reported stolen at this stage.”
Naicker said a case of theft had been registered with police on the Berea, which is close to where Madiba Zuma lives.
Because the investigation was at a “sensitive” stage, no other information could be divulged. Naicker confirmed that no arrests had been made.
National police spokesman Vish Naidoo refused to go into detail about what kind and how much security was provided to the president’s spouses. “We do provide security, but we can’t go into detail because of the risk,” he said.
The Mercury also contacted Madiba Zuma on her cellphone about the incident, but she denied any knowledge of it.
“I have no clue what you are referring to; maybe you got the wrong one (wife),” she said, before cutting the call.
In August, it was reported that thieves had broken into the Durban North home of Nompumelelo MaNtuli Zuma, one of the president’s other wives. In that incident, valuables and clothing worth hundreds of thousands of rand which had been destined for disadvantaged children were allegedly stolen.
The issue of the president’s wives has made headlines over the past few days after it emerged that Zuma would be tying the knot again this coming weekend, just a week after he turned 70 and had a lavish birthday party at Durban’s International Convention Centre.
The Presidency has been at pains to explain that Zuma’s betrothal to his long-time fiancée, Bongi Ngema, will not be at the expense of taxpayers and spokesman Mac Maharaj said the marriage would also not lead to an increase in “support arrangements”, as Ngema already had secretarial support which was provided for by the Presidency.
In the 2009/10 financial year, the presidential spousal support office had a budget of R15.5 million, but the current figure is unknown.
Zuma’s wedding at Nkandla this weekend has been described as a private family function which will be paid for by the president in his personal capacity.
Zuma married Madiba Zuma in January 2010, two years after his marriage to Nompumelelo Ntuli. He married Sizakele Khumalo in 1973. Another wife, Kate Mantsho Zuma, committed suicide in 2000, while he divorced Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who is currently the minister of home affairs, in 1998. That’s Enough! 8P7
