Clarity on the spouses of the President

6 January 2010

The Presidency has noted media reports and speculation following the wedding of President Jacob Zuma to Ms Tobeka Madiba-Zuma and wishes to clarify a few points.

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and the public service regulations do not make provision for a First Lady or First Ladies, and there is no such official designation.

However, as has been the practice in past administrations, The Presidency provides administrative support to the spouses of the President through its spousal office.

The President will be accompanied by any of the spouses to official or public engagements, or all of them at the same time should he so decide. This is his prerogative, and has been the practice since he took office.

The spouses may choose to engage in community work or any other activity that supports the work of the President. This is not mandatory as they are not part of the Presidency or the public service. They undertake this work purely on a voluntary basis.

Currently, MaKhumalo's area of interest is agriculture and food security, and she runs a vegetable garden project in Nkandla, while KaMadiba has a special interest in health matters, especially work relating to the fight against cervical cancer. MaNtuli's focus is in social development and she does a lot of work relating to assisting orphans and vulnerable children.

We have also noted incorrect media reports stating that the President has five wives. For the record, President Zuma has three wives: Ms Sizakele Khumalo (MaKhumalo), Ms Nompumelelo Ntuli (MaNtuli) and Ms Tobeka Madiba (KaMadiba). He has a fiancée, Ms Bongi Ngema.

In isiZulu culture, married or adult women whose surnames begin with "Ma" automatically inherit the prefix "Ka" instead of "Ma" to avoid tautology, which is why Ms Madiba-Zuma is not referred to as "MaMadiba".

Enquiries

Vincent Magwenya
Cell: 072 715 0024

Issued by: The Presidency
6 January 2010
Source: Sapa