Jacob Zuma — The President with 6 Wives, a Divorce, and a Tragedy
Six wives, one divorce, one death, and the most complicated family law situation in South African political history.
Key Facts
What Happened
Jacob Zuma, who served as President of South Africa from 2009 to 2018, practiced Zulu traditional polygamy throughout his political career. He married six women over several decades: Sizakele Khumalo, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (1982), Kate Mantsho (1976, in exile in Mozambique), Nompumelelo Ntuli, Thobeka Madiba (2010), and Gloria Bongekile Ngema (2012). South Africa has no official 'first lady' position — his wives maintained private homes and accompanied him during travel on a rotating basis.
His most politically significant marriage — and divorce — was with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who would later become Chairperson of the African Union Commission. They married in 1982, had four daughters, and divorced in June 1998 over irreconcilable differences. The divorce was notable because both parties remained major political figures — their continued interaction as political rivals and co-parents made the separation uniquely complex.
Tragedy struck in 2000 when Kate Mantsho, who had married Zuma in Mozambique in 1976 and had five children with him including twins Duduzile and Duduzane, died of a drug overdose on December 8. She had taken a combination of sleeping pills and anti-malaria medication. Frank Chikane, the director-general of the presidency, received a call from Kate that morning and rushed to the deputy president's residence, but she was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
Zuma's family situation presents extraordinary legal complexity. South Africa recognizes customary marriages, which allow polygamy, alongside civil marriages, which do not. The property, inheritance, and succession rights of multiple wives and their children — spread across different provinces, with different matrimonial property regimes — represent one of the most complicated family law scenarios in South African history. When Zuma eventually faces estate succession, the legal untangling will be monumental.
Legal Breakdown: Polygamy and divorce under South African law
Polygamy Under South African Law
South Africa's Recognition of Customary Marriages Act (1998) recognizes polygamous marriages entered under African customary law. However, the interaction between customary marriages and civil marriages creates complex property rights issues, as different matrimonial property regimes may apply to different wives.
Estate Planning with Multiple Spouses
With six wives and over 20 children, Zuma's eventual estate will present extraordinary succession challenges. Each wife and her children may have different legal claims depending on the type of marriage (civil vs. customary) and the applicable property regime.
Political Divorce and Co-Parenting
The Zuma-Dlamini-Zuma divorce was uniquely complicated because both parties remained powerful political figures. Their continued political interaction required a co-parenting arrangement that transcended personal animosity — she went on to lead the African Union while he became president.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →In polygamous contexts, each marriage may be governed by different legal rules — understand which applies to you.
- →Estate planning with multiple spouses and children requires specialized legal counsel.
- →The type of marriage you enter (civil vs. customary vs. religious) determines your property rights at divorce.
- →Co-parenting after divorce requires compartmentalization, especially when both parties are public figures.
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