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South African President Jacob Zuma will marry his fourth wife next weekend, his spokesman confirmed Sunday.
Zuma will tie the knot at his family homestead in Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal province, said presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj.
"I can confirm that President Zuma will formalise his relationship with his fiancee, Ms Bongi Ngema, in a private traditional ceremony at Nkandla this weekend," Maharaj told AFP.
Zuma, a known polygamist, will be married the sixth time. He divorced Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, South Africa's candidate for the African Union top post, in 1998. Another wife, Kate, committed suicide in 2000.
"The president currently has three wives. This will be his fourth wife," Maharaj said.
The president, who turned 70 last Thursday, is believed to have fathered around 20 children.
Ngema, who accompanied Zuma on a state visit to the G20 summit in South Korea last year, has a three-year-old son with him. She has a business degree among other academic qualifications.
Nkandla was recently renovated for 64 million rands ($8 million, 6 million euros), the Sunday Times reported.
But Zuma himself will foot the bill for wedding, the presidency said in a statement released Sunday afternoon.
"There is no government involvement or cost," Maharaj said in a statement.
He further clarified that the government did not pay for the maintenance of the president's spouses, because the position of "First Lady" does not formally exist in the country.
The state did pay for logistical support when spouses had to accompany the president on official business. Children who were studying full-time and financially dependent up to the age of 27 had 60 single domestic flights a year "to reunite with their parents," Maharaj said.
Zuma's adventures with women have often sparked controversy. In 2006 he was acquitted of rape charges after having consensual sex with an HIV-positive activist and family friend. He famously told the court he had taken a shower to protect himself against infection.
In 2009 he fathered a child with the daughter of 2010 World Cup local chief Irvin Khoza on the eve of the global event.
Asked at his birthday party Friday whether he was done with marriage, Zuma replied, "I think so."
<한글 기사>
70세 남아공 주마 대통령 6번째 결혼
봉기 은게마 넷째 부인으로 맞아
제이콥 주마 남아프리카공화국 대통령이 오는 21일 봉기 은게마와 결혼한다고 대통령실이 15일(현지시간) 밝혔다.
대통령실은 이날 이메일 보도자료에서 주마 대통령이 오랜 약혼자인 은게마와 고향 콰줄루나탈주 은칸들라에 있는 자신의 집에서 결혼식을 올린다고 설명했다.
대통령실은 또 결혼식에 드는 비용은 모두 대통령이 개인적으로 부담하며 정부 예산은 투입되지 않는다면서 대통령 부부와 가족의 사생활이 존중되기를 바란다고 덧붙였다.
현지 뉴스통신 사파에 따르면 지난 12일 70회 생일을 맞은 주마 대통령은 그동안 5번 결혼을 해 시자켈레 쿠말로, 놈푸멜렐로 주마 및 토베카 스테이시 맙히자 등 3명의 부인을 두고 있다.
현 내무장관인 은코사자나 들라미니-주마와는 1998년 이혼했으며 케이트 주마는 지난 2000년 스스로 목숨을 끊었다.
주마는 은게마와의 사이에 이미 세 살배기 아이를 두고 있다.
남아공 최대 부족인 줄루족 출신인 주마는 부족 관습에 따라 일부다처제를 따르고 있다.
주마 대통령은 외국 순방 때 퍼스트레이디로 부인들 중 한 명씩 돌아가면서 데려가는 것으로 알려져 있다.
지난 3월 한국에서 열린 핵안보정상회의에서는 놈푸멜렐로 주마가 주마 대통령과 동행했다.
