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Who Is South Africa’s First Lady?
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| Contributor | IndyGeorgia |
| Last Edited | IndyGeorgia Mar 02, 2013 10:23am |
| Category | Profile |
| News Date | Jan 31, 2012 10:00am |
| Description | Who is South Africa’s official first lady? This is a question that begs for an answer, because the wives of South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma, are numerous. Add to the mix his fiancées, girlfriends and rumored mistresses, and we are left pondering the answer to this million-dollar question. Moving from former President Mandela’s monogamous marriage to President Zuma, a Zulu traditionalist and self-proclaimed polygamist, the nation of South Africa has been faced with the dilemma of choosing a first lady from a polygamous home. How is the first lady determined? Is it the first wife, the most active wife, or the youngest wife? Or perhaps the most beautiful wife, the most educated, or President Zuma’s favorite?
As the nation contemplated who would be South Africa’s first lady in 2009, the bid was between Gertrude Sizakele Khumalo-Zuma who has seniority, and Nompumelelo Ntuli Zuma, the second wife with the glamour and ease needed for social situations. The former was rarely seen in public, but the latter who maintains her maiden, Ntuli, as is customary in polygamous marriages is more active outside the home and in politics. In the wake of his inauguration, President Zuma answered the nation and the world by bringing his two wives and then fiancée, Thobeka Madiba, to his inauguration, and later, to his official state and social events. While South Africa’s constitution has no provision for a First Lady or First Ladies, the presidency provides administrative support to the president’s spouses through its spousal office. The spouses of the president of South Africa may choose to engage in community work, however it is not mandatory. All community work done by the wives of President Zuma are purely on a voluntary or personal basis. |
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