Exclusive: Jacob Zuma neglects son, 2, Nonkanyiso Conco's dad claims
- The father of Jacob Zuma's ex-fiancée, Nonkanyiso Conco, says he wants the former president to provide for his two-year-old son
- "My daughter must take Zuma to court," says Fartescue Conco, father of Nonkanyiso, Zuma's baby mama
- Jacob Zuma's brother defends the former president against claims that he is not providing for his son
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By Wisely Manzini - Freelance Journalist
Fartescue Conco, the father of Jacob Zuma's ex-fiancée Nonkanyiso Conco, has accused the former president of allegedly neglecting his two-year-old son the former couple has together.
In a tell-all interview with Briefly.co.za, Conco said all his attempts to reach out to Zuma have proven futile.
"I want him to provide for his child. That's all. He must take responsibility as a father and take care of his child," said an irate Conco.
The Matatiele-based father said he was told by someone who is close to her daughter that Zuma was not providing for his son.
"I'm not on talking terms with her (Nonkanyiso). Our relationship is strained, but people talk about her and as her father, some come to me and tell me things that she doesn't tell me about," said Conco.
Zuma stunned many when his relationship with Nonkanyiso, 25,was thrust into the public spotlight in 2018.
However, two years later, the relationship has crumbled and Nonkanyiso was subsequently ejected from a mansion in Zimbali, north of Durban, that Zuma had apparently rented for her.
Source: Getty Images
Fartescue did not approve of the relationship, prompting the deterioration of his relationship with his daughter.
"I warned her countless times against her relationship with a person who is old enough to be her grandfather. Evidently, my warnings fell on deaf ears and now she is miserable because she did not listen to me," said Fartescue.
It appears Zuma has challenges providing for his children as he was dragged to the Durban maintenance court by his estranged wife Tobeka Madiba Zuma in August. She wanted maintenance of R14 000 a month for her one daughter, Nqobile.
"If I were on speaking terms with my daughter I would have advised her long time ago to take Zuma to court. I think that is the route she must take. The child is growing up and he's not spending time with his father. This is a recipe for disaster for the child," charged Fartescue.
Attempts to get comment from Nonkanyiso bore no fruits as her phone rang to voicemail and she did not respond to the message left for her.
Zuma's brother, Khanya, said he had no knowledge that his brother was not providing for his son.
"I have never heard something of that nature and I'm not willing to comment any further because I don't have any information to this effect. This is personal and the only person who could answer you is the former president himself," said Khanya.
He took a jab at Fartescue, saying if he wanted to raise issues regarding Zuma's son, he should talk to the former president directly rather than going to the media.
"His behaviour is childish, that's all I can say," said Khanya.
Meanwhile, in June, Briefly.co.za reported that Khanya, 74, confirmed that Zuma and Nonkanyiso broke up.
At the time, Khanya said:
“Yes, we know about it as the family but there’s nothing unusual about it. It’s not the first time this is happening to a person and certainly not the last. We will deal with this as a family.”
He, however, would not be drawn into commenting about the reasons that led to the split between the pair. Had Zuma gone on to tie the knot with her, she would’ve been wife number five for the ex-president.
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Source: Briefly News
Rianette Cluley (Director and Editor-in-Chief) Rianette Cluley is the managing editor of Briefly News (joined in 2016). Previously, she worked as a journalist and photographer for award-winning publications within the Caxton group (joined in 2008). She also attended the Journalism AI Academy powered by the Google News Initiative and passed a set of trainings for journalists from Google News initiative. In February 2024, she hosted a workshop titled AI for Journalists: Power Up Your Reporting Ethically and was a guest speaker at the Forum of Community Journalists No Guts, No Glory, No Story conference. E-mail: rianette.cluley@briefly.co.za
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
