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Zuma, Khoza 'already married'

Document purporting to be application for a birth certificate says they wed by 'customary law'

Feb 2, 2010 11:14 PM | By SALLY EVANS and SIPHO MASONDO

Evidence suggesting that President Jacob Zuma and Sonono Khoza are already married, according to customary law, has been sent to The Times.


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APPLE OF HIS EYE: President Jacob Zuma is listed as the 'natural father' of Khoza's four-month-old daughter, born on October 8 Picture: JON BLACK/AP
APPLE OF HIS EYE: President Jacob Zuma is listed as the 'natural father' of Khoza's four-month-old daughter, born on October 8 Picture: JON BLACK/AP

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A document purporting to be a copy of their application for a birth certificate for Thandekile Matina Zuma has the answer "yes" in reply to the question: "Are the parents of the child married to each other."

The document appeared to have been signed by Zuma and Khoza.

Under "Nature of Marriage" the option "customary" was checked.

An official of the department of home affairs said that the document - faxed anonymously to The Times yesterday morning - appeared to be valid, but neither Zuma's spokesman nor Khoza would confirm that this was so.

Cellphone numbers, addresses and ID numbers on the document match those of Zuma and Khoza.

Zuma is listed as the "natural father" of Khoza's four-month-old daughter, who was born in Johannesburg on October 8.

The section marked "Acknowledgement of paternity [in respect of] a child born out of wedlock" is signed by JG Zuma in the box marked: "I hereby declare that I am the natural father of the above child."

The document is date stamped January 19, two days after Zuma's motorcade reportedly arrived at the Khoza family's mansion in Diepkloof Extension, Soweto.

It was also signed by an official at the Home Affairs office in Randburg.

The Sunday Times reported that two men from KwaZulu-Natal, acting on Zuma's behalf, visited the Khoza family in December to discuss the Zulu customary damages, inhlawulo, due when a child is born out of wedlock.

Yesterday, the 39-year-old daughter of soccer boss Irvin Khoza refused to comment on the document.

"I am shocked, sjoe, that is all I can say. I have told you guys that I have nothing to say. How can I confirm things that have been done by other faceless people. I have nothing else to say," she said.

The bank executive did not, however, deny the birth or that marriage rites had been completed.

The Times reported yesterday that a neighbour, who described herself as a close family friend of Khoza's wife, Matina, said the community knew about Zuma and Sonono's relationship "from the word go".

"They will get married, they are in love with each other ... what is wrong with it? It's official - they will get married."

The woman said she had recently discussed the relationship with Matina Khoza.

When The Times telephoned Matina Khoza and asked her about the document last night, she replied: "It does not concern you." She then hung up.

The Times also e-mailed a copy of the document to Zuma's ANC spokesman, Zizi Kodwa, who promised to respond within 30 minutes. But by the time of going to press, Kodwa had not responded, despite numerous attempts to contact him.

The document was also sent to presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya, who was boarding a plane to return from Ethiopia, where Zuma had attended an African Union summit.

He also did not respond.

Another presidential spokesman, Vusi Mona, said he could not respond because he was attending a conference in London.

If Khoza is indeed Zuma's customary wife, this would bring to four the number of women married to the president.

He is also engaged to be married to Bongekile Gloria Ngema, for whom he paid lobolo late last year.

The storm over the Khoza liaison continued yesterday with opposition parties slamming the ANC for its earlier attempts to justify the president's behaviour.

But the SA Students' Congress, which has its head office at the ANC's Luthuli House HQ - slammed the media for reporting on the birth of Zuma's latest child.

Sasco president Mbulelo Mandlana told reporters in Johannesburg yesterday that the media had "no respect for the elderly".

"We view these reports as part of the anti-Zuma campaign by newspapers."


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Comments

Feb 2 2010 11:58:14 PM
k'hallawaya
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WOW! Until yesterday, they were "about" to get married, and today they were married already". This seems a "time warp" in which the events develop at different speeds in different universes.
Feb 3 2010 12:11:48 AM
BabyMama
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I am utterly disgusted at The Times for going to such great lengths to invade people's privacies. Sonono is a private citizen entitled to her rights. She's a mother, a sister and a daughter and really to be turned into a public egg fried by media sun both at national and international level is a shame. Media has no respect for people. So what happens to these journos?They get salaries + commission for this 'juicy' scoop? This is nonsense. I have no respect for journalists. Next time an idiot introduces themselves as a journo to me, I will spit in their faces. South African media used to be driven by ethic values of national importance and nation building. they are destroying our country and they think they are doing us a favour by doing such things?? It's a sad day for journalism. The nation is not united because media divides it. Media had successfully launched service delivery protests by writing negatively about government. There is no positive story anyomore, not even a cry for help to find a lost labrador. It's now all about chasing dollars at the expense of people's private lives....one thing you should all know out there is that none of you own the soul anyone. you may think you have destroyed Sonono's life and the President but unfortunately destiny is not, has never and will never be in the hands of media. I wish the President may get a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th term to rule this country. He was elected by the majoriy. Whether you consider them ignorant or uneducated majority, he was elected and he must be respected. The baby is not yet 16 years and she is being castigated for being alive? Mind your lives and consider your KPA's at work. dammit!! this is shame. Leave these people alone. They owe you no explanation. home affairs should be ashamed that they can't even sort out the mess of their backlog but they have time to send sensitive confidential information to media....rub...bish this nonsense!! My child's emergency which is meant to take a few minutes to be processed was not processed at Randburg home affairs. I won't be surprised if they are the ones responsible for this mess. You south africans are terrrible haters. I would not wish this kind of humiliation and invasion to anyone!!! enough is enough. Let the President and his family be!!! They did no harm to anyone!!
Feb 3 2010 12:17:43 AM
BabyMama
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I'm still waiting for my child's passport and hopefully later this morning when I go to home affairs i will find them having a good time reading newspapers.!! damn idiots!!
Feb 3 2010 12:20:33 AM
BabyMama
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The person who leaked this document must be fired. at the end of the day the president is his/her boss. investigations must be done to fire that idiot!! this is breaching information that is sooooo sensitive and confidential...information which is nobody's business. If i were Sonono, I would sue home affairs irrespective of whether the father of my child or my husband was president or not. this is completely unheard. people are dogs out there. dimpya straight!!
Feb 3 2010 12:23:39 AM
k'hallawaya
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Are you a zulu woman or xhosa woman? Is it true that zulu culture allows men to have more than one woman whether married or not? What about xhosas?
Feb 3 2010 12:29:26 AM
Chilli beans
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Huuu shame!! After spending the whole day in da blog, I must say I agree with your sentiments BM, this should be enough now. Never mind taxpayer stories and sh it like that, this is just too much invasion. Mina as a woman nje, it would be enough for me to kill myself. Sonono's other children must be traumatised with this turn of events...they already know that their grandfather is in a public and maybe this is the first time they hear or read of their mother in this manner. No, a a a, kahleni nina ba se media. home affairs vele that person ufanele a firishwe for this
Feb 3 2010 12:31:44 AM
BabyMama
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ga ke mo zulu e bile ga ke mothosa wena khalwaaya....e fela ke mosadi and as mosadi, ga ke dumalane le matlakala a ntseng jaana a. ga ke dumalane period!!
Feb 3 2010 12:34:52 AM
BabyMama
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at this stage i couldnt be bothered about culture. i am disturbed at the actions of media to go to such lengths trying to destroy somebody's privacy so violently and in such hostility!! it is wrong. I say that dignity should be restored. why do we even hve to be judging people's matters of their hearts?? who is controlling our own matters of our hearts??
Feb 3 2010 12:38:37 AM
k'hallawaya
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JZ aside, it would be enlightening to know your side of the cultural thing. I suppose there is no shame in it isn't it?
Feb 3 2010 01:13:29 AM
BabyMama
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There is no shame in it right now. But I thought it is clear that polygamy is a person's choice and if they are already married, it is a consensual decision between a man and his wife. i also understand that the wife can choose another wife for her husband. I suppose once I'm sure that I have my husband's heart in my hands and that he has my heart, then I would be that wife who helps him find a wife. What would matter is that there be respect and peace in the family, between me and my husband, between me and his other wives and between us all and the children. i should be able to raise the other children as mine, much as i would expect the other wife to raise mine as hers.