President Jacob Zuma has hinted he may be ready to take a fifth wife to accompany him through old age.

inShare.0 NUMBER 1 POLYGAMIST: President Jacob Zuma with wives Nompumelelo Ntuli, Thobeka Madiba and Sizakele Khumalo. Picture: Esa Alexander


During a visit to a Durban township Tuesday in KwaZulu-Natal, the 72-year-old said in Zulu "Angakayakhi indlu yokugugela... laba ngisabathathile nje" (I do have wives but I'm yet to marry my last one).

The crowd, most of them elderly, laughed and cheered, The Star newspaper reported.

Zuma, who on Sunday said he was in "perfect condition" after a stay in hospital in June, had earlier given a speech about the need to respect and tend for older people.

Sihawu Ngubane, a professor at KwaZulu-Natal University, was quoted by the newspaper as saying it was fairly standard among Zulu people for a man who practises polygamy to take a last wife for his last years, sometimes the younger sister of one of his wives.

"They call the last wife 'indlu yokugugela' (the home in which I will age in) because the responsibility of looking after the husband in their old age predominantly lies with the junior wife, who is often younger than the other wives and more agile in case there is an emergency," he said.

Zuma, who has around 20 children, has married six times but currently has four wives on the state's budget, despite criticism from some tax-payers

In the footstep of Nelson Mandela

wife #4 will not like that.

tpia0003:
wife #4 will not like that.

For where? Dem go like am gan ni.
The wives are all on state budget.

Just makes me wonder why African women are so cool about this polygamy stuff. It definitely cannot be for love.

cuteboy2:


For where? Dem go like am gan ni.
The wives are all on state budget.

true @ budget things, but there's one of them ( i think the 4th one, not sure), who likes grabbing his attention.

cuteboy2:


For where? Dem go like am gan ni.
The wives are all on state budget.

Just makes me wonder why African women are so cool about this polygamy stuff. It definitely cannot be for love.

polygamy is part of our African culture. There are some polygamy marriage that work out well while others don't just like a monogamy marriage

IamDejman:
In the footstep of Nelson Mandela

Don't really think so. Mandela divorced Winnie due to her infidelity. He never had more than 1 wife under his roof.

Raiders:
polygamy is part of our African culture. There are some polygamy marriage that work out well while others don't just like a monogamy marriage

My real question is if Zuma wants 1000 wives tomorrow morning, 5000 potential brides will form a queue outside his door. But if a Vulcanizer wants 3 wives during same period of time, he will not readily find enough willing brides.

So are women really going into polygamy out of love for this one man, or material gains and comfort is the main lure?

This guy na man.

cuteboy2:


My real question is if Zuma wants 1000 wives tomorrow morning, 50,000 potential brides will form a queue outside his door.

corrected.

But if a Vulcanizer wants 3 wives during same period of time, he will not readily find enough willing brides.

he probably will.

cuteboy2:


My real question is if Zuma wants 1000 wives tomorrow morning, 5000 potential brides will form a queue outside his door. But if a Vulcanizer wants 3 wives during same period of time, he will not readily find enough willing brides.

So are women really going into polygamy out of love for this one man, or material gains and comfort is the main lure?

my bro, love only exist in Hollywood and nollywood movies. Women love money and no modern Nigeria woman would marry a poor man. If you have the money, there is nothing wrong in marrying many wives as long as you can take care of them

B

I also have a concern I'm sure many can identify with. At 72yrs can a man fulfill the sexual desires of 5 women, some of them far younger than him with tons of energy.

For some people keeping up with one is enough work. I fear