King of R246 Million Nkandla and His Queens: Lush Life of Jacob Zuma and His Wives, Cars, Mansions and More
- Former South African president Jacob Zuma and his six wives have been making headlines since before he became president
- In 2016, millions of rands in taxpayers' money were used to buy Jacob Zuma's wives luxury cars
- Msholozi's wives live lavish lifestyles, and it cost South Africa R54.6 million to support the country's first ladies during his first term in office
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Former South African president Jacob Zuma and his wives have continued to make headlines despite his presidency ending in 2017 already. The Zumas live a lavish lifestyle that has raised many eyebrows.
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Despite having spent time behind bars, being accused and found guilty of multiple offences, Zuma still has a large and loyal following who will never stop calling for him to reign over Mzansi once again.
Zuma is undoubtedly one of the most talked about presidents of SA. Making his first big media break in 2006 with the controversial HIV shower comment, JZ hasn't failed to continue producing some wild and questionable media content.
Aside from the Gupta saga and all the allegations that led Jacob to prison, his lush polygamist lifestyle keeps people hooked. Love him or hate him, everyone dials into a Zuma drama.
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The king of Nkandla and all of his queens and children: Zuma's polygamist lifestyle
It is no secret that Zuma does not believe in monogamy. Being the proud Zulu man that he is, Jacob felt it was his right to take on multiple wives, and he did just that.
TimesLIVE reported that it cost South Africa R54.6 million to support the country's first ladies during Jacob Zuma's first term in office. Taking on multiple wives costs a pretty penny, especially when you are the president.
At one stage, Zuma was married to six women;
- Gertrude Sizakele Khumalo - married in 1973
- Kate Mantsho - married in 1976
- Nkosazana Dlamini - married in 1982
- Nompumelelo Ntuli - married in 2008
- Thobeka Mabhija - married in 2010
- Gloria Bongekile Ngema - married in 2012
Zuma now has four wives as his third wife, Kate, sadly passed away in 2000, and his fourth wife, Nkosazana, divorced him in 1998.
From these six wives, JZ has a whopping 23 children, of whom all adore their father dearly, according to The Citizen, and some are even following in his political footsteps. Duduzane Zuma is a hot topic regarding the upcoming 2024 presidential elections.
Jacob Zuma's lavish homes: From R246 million Nkandla to R330 million place in Dubai
Nkandla is not a name you have not heard. Zuma's multimillion-rand homestead has been making headlines for years! The construction of the mind-blowing property started in 2006 when Zuma was in the presidency. ZAlebs reported that building Nkandla is estimated to have cost about R246 million, of which people speculate to have been of taxpayers' money.
This homestead has been called a "country of its own", and some people even speculated that Zuma was planning on running Nkandla like a mini country. With a military hospital, a helicopter pad, a cattle kraal, an amphitheatre, lavish quest quarters, and more, you could visit Nkandla and never have to leave.
Zuma's R330 million Gupta bought Dubai palace
Zuma also owned a gorgeous place-like mansion in Dubai which he confirmed was sold in 2018 due to hefty legal fees he needed to pay. TimesLIVE reported that the Guptas bought Zuma the R330 million home in the upmarket suburb of Emirates Hills in 2015 as a retirement home.
Covered in gold, the place had a generous 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, space for 11 cars and sizable guest quarters. Nothing like the Nkandla homestead, but it definitely wouldn't have been a bad place to live his years out in luxury.
Another home Mr Zuma is said to own is a R6.5 million house in Johannesburg. IOL reported that this home, too, was up for sale. However, the sale of this home was not confirmed. According to an article published by Sunday World, the home is said to have over a million rand in outstanding taxes and rates. A much smaller residence than Zuma's other properties but a drama-filled one nonetheless.
Audi and Range Rovers: Jacob Zuma's wives get R8.6 million luxury cars at Mzansi's expense
Headlines went gaga back in 2016 when it was reported that R8.6 million out of the South African Police Service's budget was used to purchase a fleet of luxury vehicles for his four wives, reported ZAlebs.
Former Minister of Police Nathi Nhleko divulged that millions were spent in 2016 on cars for Zuma's wives. 11 Cars in total were bought between 2012 and 2016, these included:
- Four Range Rovers were purchased in 2013 for R946 612 each
- Two Land Rover Discovery worth R638 831 each bought in 2014
- Two Audi Q7s were bought in March 2016 for R857 047
- Three Audi A6s were also bought in March 2016 for R634 992 each
Trouble in Paradise: Jacob Zuma's fifth wife Thobeka Mabhija takes legal action
Things started getting rocky when JZ's legal battle consumed his life and finances. Wives started leaving the lavish Nkandla homestead – some by choice and others by force.
Zuma's fifth wife, Thobeka Mabhija, was exiled from the homestead in 2020 after being accused of using Zuma's SIM cards while he was away for medical treatment, reported News24.
The drama quickly unfolded when Thobeka took legal action against Zuma regarding child support, claiming that he had not paid the R14k maintenance they had apparently agreed upon when they separated.
Sunday World later reported that Thobeka had filed for divorce. However, Zuma's legal team denied allegations regarding both the maintenance issue and the divorce.
The Zuma family is always making headlines, and we will continue seeing more from them, especially if his son Duduzane Zuma takes the presidency in 2024.
EXCLUSIVE: Jacob Zuma turns 81, credits long life to "holding no grudges"
In recent Zuma news, Briefly News reported that former President Jacob Zuma celebrated his 81st birthday with the youth branch of the organisation that recently made him chairperson, SANCO KZN.
At a packed event held in Durban on Wednesday afternoon, JZ was surrounded by supporters and well-wishers from across the province adorned in ANC and SANCO regalia.
The event was attended by many famous faces within Zuma's inner circle, including controversial social commentator Ngizwe Mchunu and his daughter Duduzile Zuma.
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Source: Briefly News
