South Africa has a new President but who will be first among his ladies?
When Jacob Zuma fulfils a lifelong dream and assumes the presidency of South Africa next month his first major policy headache is going to be which of his current crop of wives and girlfriends should become First Lady.Mr Zuma is a polygamist who has had as many as four wives at one time. He currently has two after one committed suicide in 2000 and another one – Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the South African Foreign Minister – divorced him in 1998. She remains a trusted aide.
He recently paid lobolo (a Zulu dowry) for two other women. One is a long-time girlfriend. The other is Sebentile Dlamini, a Swazi princess, whom he apparently is not too keen on, but he does not want to upset the neighbouring kingdom of Swaziland. Speculation has been growing that he may marry one or both of them soon.
