By Sadie Bass

Mar 3, 2010 12:25pm

Which Wife Did South Africa’s Polygamous President Bring to London?

ABC's Ammu Kannampilly reports from London: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has welcomed many controversial visitors to her country. Still, British newspapers have taken exception to the welcome extended to her most recent visitor, the South African president Jacob Zuma.  Zuma, 67, is a polygamist with three first ladies, and has fathered 20 children. The 20th child, a baby girl, was born  out of wedlock, when Zuma conducted an affair with Sonono Khoza, the daughter of a political ally. His actions raised eyebrows in South Africa and around the world, and many in the UK are questioning whether Queen Elizabeth should be meeting him at all. Zuma himself has wasted no time in lashing out at his critics, telling the South African website IOL, “When the British came to our country, they said everything we are doing was barbaric, was wrong, inferior in whatever way. Bear in mind that I'm a freedom fighter and I fought to free myself, also for my culture to be respected.” "And I don't know why they are continuing thinking that their culture is more superior than others,” he said. If you are wondering which of the three first ladies accompanied Zuma to London, it is his most recent wife, Thobeka Madiba Zuma, 37, who will attend tonight’s state banquet at Buckingham Palace with her husband.

User Comments

I suppose the “most recent wife” is probably the youngest of the three.
That’s why he brought her – appearances, baby.
Those three wives all can’t be “First”.
Even children learn that at an early age.

Posted by: ddg | March 3, 2010, 12:41 pm 12:41 pm

Who cares?

Posted by: Rick McDaniel | March 3, 2010, 3:08 pm 3:08 pm

Historyscoper, you’re spamming this page. Zuma says he’s a Christian; his polygamy apparently comes from traditional Zulu religious beliefs, not Islam. (Though most Zulus now consider themselves Christians, many retained their traditional beliefs alongside Christianity.) There is no indication of Islam having any role at all.

Posted by: RBBrittain | March 3, 2010, 3:09 pm 3:09 pm

3 wives, I have enough challenges with one. Oooh weee! Trying to please one is enough for this man!

Posted by: Deval769 | March 3, 2010, 3:42 pm 3:42 pm

please the man already said it all, we must start respecting our tradition and religious beliefs, that is all he is a zulu traditionalist we have to respect him for his choice of belief.

Posted by: Abdullahi chubado | March 3, 2010, 9:16 pm 9:16 pm

our religious beliefs and traditions of one another, must be respected all over the world,that is all.

Posted by: Abdullahi chubado | March 3, 2010, 9:39 pm 9:39 pm

Good for him. It’s time we started accepting cultural differences on this planet.

Posted by: Anlali Angel | March 4, 2010, 5:55 pm 5:55 pm

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