Jacob Zuma, the South African president, formalised his marriage to his third wife during a traditional ceremony in his rural village in the province of KwaZulu-Natal on Monday amid reports that he plans to take a fourth bride later this year.


During the ritual wedding the bride, Madiba, 37, was introduced to the elders as well to the ancestors, two years after Mr Zuma, 67, paid the Ilobolo (dowry).

Miss Madiba, who has two children with Mr Zuma, has attended official functions as one of the country's first ladies and has been quoted in the media as Thobeka Madiba-Zuma.

Polygamy is legally recognised in South Africa.

Some 2,000 guests thronged the president's homestead to watch an hour-long traditional Zulu wedding dance. During the ceremony, Mrs Madiba-Zuma performed a solo dance while holding a spear and a shield to symbolise her acceptance of her new husband.

Mr Zuma, wearing a skirt made of animal fur pelts and sporting bright white tennis shoes, then joined the dance. The bride wore matching trainers.

Guests dined on traditional Zulu foods, and attendees were told that more than a dozen sheep, goats and cows had been slaughtered for the feast.

Mr Zuma has now married at least five women over the years and has 19 children. He currently has three wives including Mrs Madiba-Zuma, Sizakele Khumalo, whom he married in 1973, and Nompumelelo Ntuli, whom he wed in 2008.

He also was married to two other women. One, Kate Mantsho Zuma, committed suicide in 2000. He divorced the other, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, in 1998, although she remains a trusted aide and is now the country's home affairs minister.

His latest wedding came amid rumours that he is preparing to take on a sixth wife.

Earlier this week, an umbondo (exchange of gifts) ceremony was held signalling that he had paid ilobolo (dowry) for his latest fiancee, Bongi Ngema, according to the Sunday Times.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/6934005/Jacob-Zuma-weds-third-wife-in-traditional-Zulu-ceremony.html

This Man Like woman no be small ooooo president with 19 children na wa oooo