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JOHANNESBURG – As the World Cup approaches, South Africa has been gripped by a rather different contest, as intense as anything you'll see on the field over the next month – a scrap between Nompumelelo Ntuli Zuma and her husband Jacob Zuma, the country's president.
Allegations that MaNtuli, as she is known, had cheated on her husband swept the beautiful game from the headlines this week, and have been the fodder of hand-wringing columnists, bloggers and talk radio.
The theme of most was: "Well done MaNtuli." They could hardly contain themselves. One radio station even described her alleged infidelity with a bodyguard as a "victory for women."
This may seem like a perverse reaction, until, that is, you a take a peek behind the walls of Zuma's presidential mansion.
As a Zulu traditionalist, Zuma is a big believer in polygamy. He currently has three wives. He divorced a previous wife, and yet another previous wife committed suicide. Of his current three wives, MaNtuli is the second – the Second First Lady, as she is known.
MaNtuli, it appears, is not such a big believer in polygamy. When late last year Zuma announced that he was marrying again (current wife number three), she reportedly "went berserk," storming out of the presidential guesthouse, breaking a security door and hitting a security officer. She refused to attend the January wedding ceremony.
Newspapers reported that in April she was fined one goat by the extended Zuma family (part of Zulu tradition) as punishment for bad behavior, and that the goat was presented to her husband as an apology.
Neither the president nor MaNtuli have responded publicly to the allegations of her infidelity.
One newspaper reported recently that Zuma's wives were costing South African taxpayers roughly $2 million per year. And the bill may go up soon.
The 67-year-old president has become engaged to marry again, this time to a woman by whom he already has a child. And there are rumors of yet another wife being prepared for the Zuma marital conveyor belt.
The allegations of MaNtuli's cheating were contained in a leaked letter apparently written by another member of the Zuma household, possibly another wife. The revelations prompted lurid headlines about the "War of the Wives" and suggestions that the baby she is now carrying is that of the bodyguard, who has since allegedly killed himself.
Zuma is a fierce defender of polygamy. Yet, on an overseas visit earlier this year, he said he believed in the equality of women (who are not allowed multiple husbands), and called for the respect of Zulu culture.
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Critics say his behavior wouldn't be so bad if the president stuck to romantic entanglements with his three wives. Instead, by conservative estimates, Zuma has at least 20 children by at least eight different women.
In 2006, he was tried (and acquitted) for rape. At that trial he admitted having unprotected sex with a woman he knew to be HIV positive, saying he took a shower afterwards to fend off the virus.
This doesn’t set a particularly good example in a country with the world's highest rate of HIV infection – almost 20 percent of the population – according to U.N. estimates.
But it does explain why there has been such unrestrained glee over the MaNtuli allegations.
"It's goose for the gander," marveled one talk show host. For those of us gearing up for the World Cup, it has at the least been a rather entertaining sideshow. It’s hard to think of a soap opera that could beat "At Home With The Zumas."
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Polygamy is ok for men but not women-- a cultural matter. It would be a mess for both to be polygamists so since the husband doesn't have what it takes to take care of all those wives sexually and emotionally, I guess " You go girl" is about right.
She is married to Zuma, she must respect him and her self by filing for a divorce, if its true she is asking for trouble, she will get more! so,stop being silly old love
Does any one stop to think that whenever the words "culture, tradition, our religious beliefs" are exclaimed to justify behavior, especially (but not limited to) sexual issues, they are uttered by men. Who, who is paying attention doesn't realize that it is men who made up all this BS for their own benefit. How convenient it is (for men). I personally have no problem with polygamy, just its pure bias for men. And, I'm a heterosexual male--that should head off a predictable number of rebuttal tirades.
The white South Africans will be saying ,We told you so.
I'm not a big fan of infidelity, but in this case, I gotta say "you go, girl" too. Hard to believe this idiot is filling the same post once held by Nelson Mandela.
Hard indeed to imagine. But this is africa where anything goes. The good, the bad, and the ugly!
They got rid of apartheid for this?
Anyone get a look at her....it cant be true
Is he blind, or just stupid?
Anybody get a look at HIM?
It can't be true........
Who cares!!!!
Well what Ican not belive is we are supporting this crap on both sides.Ummmm just because one doing it dont make ok for both to do so .How about this GET A DIVOICE !!! that is a lot better then sexing it up all over the place
We keep reaching to the past for justification for what we know is just plain wrong.
Really? This idiot is president. He said that he "took a shower" after having sex with a woman who was known to be HIV positive to "fend off the virus". This moron should contract the virus and die. I understand respecting the "culture", but his behavior is just repulsive.
He still may get the HIV virus you know. And to think this man is the leader of that country.... when he has absolutely NO sense at all. But my thought is this. Why did this wife marry him, knowing she would only be a number???
Polgymy is a stupid way of life for men who just want more sex and with different women. It has nothing to do about love or respect. It is nothing but a sad way of life!!!!!!!!
this wife and all others were taught that was the right way to live and it is very hard to change a family tradition and I reference some of our south as a example
Mr. Zuma. idiot that he is, is just picking up from where his predecessor, Mbecki, left off. They don't believe in HIV or AIDS and their comments and lifestyle reflect such. It's sad really. You hold a position that enables you to do so much for your people but you spend your time, plenty of it it seems, adding to the population and being a lousy example for men to emulate. In this case your culture can kill you.
She is "The Second" so it was "OK" for her to be the next wife but there can't be another?
9 deleted, DrPearsonMD posting a lot of racism about how Africans have no morality. Banned, reregistration of multiple accounter Dr.WilliamsonM.
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Amazing, a short time ago, S Africa was the most advanced country on the African Contintent.
Now South Africa is right where it deserves to be. The bottom!
Jerry, was that before apartheid was abolished? I remember when people wanted to go to S. Africa on vacation, before Goodyear neckties maybe.
ummmm, yeah, sure. lol
There is an old adage that rings true, even in this case...."two wrongs do not make a right."
The correct term is "polygyny" when one man has multiple wives. The word "polygamy" is correct when describing a marital system in which both men and women are allowed multiple mates.
Now THAT is a useful comment. Thank you.
If consenting adults want to enter into a multiple marriage more power to them. But the man slept with a woman who was HIV positive!!
ALL these women should get the hell away. Very far away. Anyone that sleeps with this man and knows of this deserves all she gets.
I also agree with an earlier poster. She was wife number 2... what's one more?
She must have felt like she was the "other woman" taking from number 1 until number 3 came along and unseated that notion.
It also appears this man doesn't just have many wives but sleeps around and has affairs. So, so what if she had one. Sounds to me like they all deserve each other.
what can you expect from a country going in high retrograde speed to match the rest of the black led nations of Africa? People like these two are barely out of their kraals.
And you are barely out of your cave.
Now here is a man Tiger could get lessons from - at least the 8 or more mothers of his 20 or more children have natural breasts and are neither hooker look alikes nor porn stars!
While the one's in the fore front in history have been men, women have been every bit involved. "culture, tradition, our religious beliefs" Isabella of Castile, Ilse Koch, Irma Grese,Elizabeth Bathory to name a few. You don't think women use sex as a tool? Cleopatra off the top of my head. The woman in question voluntarily entered the Poly-marriage, she was the (second) of his current wives."I personally have no problem with polygamy, just its pure bias for men" not really there are arguments from both women and men who say otherwise economics etc among others.
Its sad and a shame that people still reason in primitive mode. However, it remains clear that while you may treat the lame for ignorance, you sure can not cure the racist of bigotry. People like the self proclaimed doctor of complex are so dug in on their diseased mind that they continue to make believe thier lame assumptions. This is typical of the paranoid narcisistic personality which inhabits his form. I bet it makes him and his kind feel good to hide under the anonymity of the web and pour their heinous vitriol on the black race. It is no good reminding him that the other race who have claimed dominance of the world for ages have also not only produced the most notorious pedophiles, sodomists, flaming homosexuals of different brands, beastialists and people of crazed sexual persuasions who by the way are prominent at the highest levels of their societies. Oh now where is the cave man, a**h%l@!
I am profoundly regretful to read yet again multiple comments steeped in ignorance, hatred, and racism. As a white male I feel a deep revulsion for those who offer these kinds of remarks, which are despicable and intolerable. I extend my most profound apologies to black men and women- I can't imagine the experience of being on the receiving end of this vituperation. I am frankly mortified. Time to actively work for a better world.
Don't fool yourself, there are just as many, if not more, racist black people out there as there are whites. If you have never been on the receiving end of this "vituperation" you must not live where there are blacks..Oh pardon me... "People of color". The only race that seams to not be exempt from the charge of racist is whites. However that being said, there are also many black people out there who are good honest decent folks who are NOT racist, just like there are plenty of good honest decent non racist folks out there who are white. Trash comes in every color, and apparently from this article every social class as well; because these people certainly are behaving like TRASH.
f brown,
You are absolutely correct. There are racist blacks just the same as their are racist whites. I have actually been a victim of both forms. I have been called a cracker by racist blacks same as I have been called a @!$%# by racist whites. Its all trashy. I for one who is hispanic and has family who are white (european decent) and black (decended from slaves) know that there are good non-racist white people, I have many friends who meet this description. Same with my black friends. I just notice, though there are exceptions, that many times it seems to be that those making racist comments on many articles seem to be advocating that whites are superior. Though they don't always do it by coming out directly and saying "look at what the (insert some racial epithet here) are doing and this is how whites do it and that's why we're better," they usually seem to relish pointing out "this is what the (insert racial epithet here) are doing."
Personally everyone needs to get the chip off of their shoulder and realize their own shortcomings before they begin pointing out those of others.
This isn't about black or white. This is about Western perceptions of Africans. The ignorant belief that the west is more civilized or evolved than other cultures. This is about all these commenters judging another culture without any understanding of their way of life. Get some perspective people.
"Body Rituals of the Nacirema" http://virgil.azwestern.edu/~dag/lol/Nacirema.html
SA is sinking inexorably into the African self-destructive abyss found throughout the continent.
Horrors of rape, murder, car jacking, home invasion and worse are compounded by ineffective, corrupt or non-existent police.
Violent racism against white South Africans and foreign blacks makes daily life difficult and dangerous for black and white alike.
Public education-where available-is facing rapidly deteriorating standards. Ignorance thrives.
The once elegant commercial core of Johannesburg is falling apart as the city center descends into increasing lawlessness.
Deadly AIDS is pervasive through out the population yet they are governed by a man so ignorant that he believes taking a shower after sex will prevent him contracting AIDS.
That having sex with a young virgin will cure AIDS is a commonly held belief and helps account for the prevalence of child rape in SA.
Yet anyone who has the temerity to remark on any of these pitiful situations is reflexively labeled a culturally insensitive racist.
Political correctness will not improve the status quo for the people-black, white and coloured- in SA.
It looks as if the 21st century will be even more violent than the 20th.
Scary world we live in.
Pity that Obama's not a Zulu. He'd be so busy with his half-dozen wives that he wouldn't have time to run up the national debt...
Your comments are well thought out and reflect the situation on ground in South Africa. I do not detect any racist bias. However, you can agree with me that some comments posted by some white pigs are nothing but racism in its most blatant form. Maybe you need to look at some of these comments with a little bit more objectivity to appreciate the sub-human nature of some of these commentators. The simple fact is that racism is very real and a lot of people hide under it to cover their ignorance and parochialism.
So the bodyguard conveniently committed suicide? How very convenient!
Lots of suicide going on there........it used to happen in Russia when Stalin was in power.
One goat ! how sexist! To be fair this type of indiscretion is worth three goats! just what has become of this world ???
I gotta disagree with you Frank, considering inflation and the devaluation of livestock, this offense rated no more than a chicken, and a scrawny one at that.
Colorblind, is that where "chicken-pluckers" came from?
I think some people are missing the point here . Frankly I don't give a damn about who is having an affaire with whom that's their business BUT this is the leader of a nation ravaged by AIDS who " had a shower to get rid of the virus after having sex with a known HIV +ve lady" Surely thats what should be ringing alarm bells here !!
There are tribes in Africa who truly believe that having sex with a virgin and/or prepubescent child cures AIDS . My son in law and some of my best friends are from S Africa and this information comes from several friends who nursed in public hospitals in that country .
It is this lack of education on AIDS that the west needs to tackle and if a Prime Minister shows such ignorance then for goodness sake vote him out . How can the rest of the world take him seriously with that attitude ?