Having resigned as the president of South Africa a few months ago due to internal pressure especially from his own party, Jacob Zuma is back in the news.
The latest we have on our sleeves is that the 76-year-old former president of South Africa is getting married again. This time to a much younger woman.
Reports from South Africa indicate that Zuma is soon walking his 24-year-old future wife down the aisle. Nonkanyiso Cono is her name and apart from exchanging vows, everything else has been sorted out.
It is said that Zuma and his family have already paid bride price for her, and both families are understood to be happy with the union.
Meanwhile, Cono has been forced to resign from her position at a women’s rights charity.
The She Conquers foundation, which campaigns to improve the lives of adolescent girls, said Cono “failed to disclose her relations with Mr Zuma” and had acted “contrary to the principles” that the charity stood for.
“As young girls we are lured and used by people with power who use their position to take advantage of us,” the group said in a statement.
According to media reports in South Africa, Cono, is due to become the new spouse of Zuma who currently has four other wives.
The Sunday Times weekly reported that Cono had been a frequent visitor at Zuma’s residence east of Johannesburg since she was 19.
The former president, who was forced to resign in February after nearly a decade in power, is facing a string of corruption charges stemming from an arms contract dating to before his time in office.
His political career was dogged by controversy and he was in 2006 acquitted on charges of raping a HIV-positive woman.
He also caused outrage among health campaigners by telling the court that he had showered after having unprotected sex with his accuser to avoid contracting the virus.
Zuma married his first wife Getrude Sizakele Khumalo in 1973, then Kate Mantsho in 1976, Nkosazana Dlamini in 1982, Nompumelelo Ntuli in 2008, Thobeka Mabhija in 2010), Gloria Bongekile Ngema 2012).
Nonkanyiso Cono is going to be his seventh wife and their marriage comes during a time when he’s on the verge of being imprisoned for corruption charges.