Bob Travel

Jacob Zuma, the President of South Africa has three wives.  Many are questioning as the sit over dinner or coffee in any Cape Town five star hotels,  in the restaurants and on the street corners, the cheeky question of which one will actually be the First Lady of the country. Zuma is of the Zulu tribe, this is a rural based community, existing in poverty and very little education.  This practice of polygamy is still prevalent in the rural communities, however not so much anymore in the larger cities such as Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town.  Zuma was first married in 1973, and since then has been married five times, and has fathered nineteen children.

He is married to Sizakele Khumalo,  his first wife he wed in 1973.  In 2007 he married Nompumelelo Ntuli, and most recently to Thobeka Mabhija.  Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and the President were divorced more than twenty years ago, but she remains to be one of his closest political advisers and has even holds the position in his government, of Minister of Foreign Affairs.  All of his wives did attend the ceremony for his inauguration last month, however only Khumalo was on stage with him.  Zuma is the first president of South Africa to be a polygamist, and many questions are being asked.  And while Zuma himself will state that he received no formal education,  he is respected for the experiences and the wisdom he has gained throughout his life-time.  When questioned on polygamy though, Nelson Mandela stated that he was formally educated and therefore turned away from the practice.  All questions seem to lead back to the level of education one receives.

Many in the country have become Christians, and they state those reasons as well for not practicing this aspect of their cultural traditions.  Zuma states in his defense, and in defense of polygamy, that the practice is based on openness and honesty, and that many of his Christian colleagues do have mistresses hidden away.  He is very open about his life experiences and his lack of education and firmly believes in who he is, so further gossip and raised eyebrows will have no ill effects on this new President of South Africa.

The times are changing in South Africa.  Last month, the first elected democratic President, Nelson Mandela promoted and supported Jacob Zuma, as he had previously done for Thabo Mbeki, his successor.  It is believed that soon, Zuma there will be a new outline for conservatism in the country.  One that supports the religious and the cultural roots of the people, which Zuma feels is being compromised by liberal Western values.  Some believe that Zuma is obsessed by power and control.  Stating that issues such as same sex relationships, and the death penalty, and the condemnation of those opposing ideas of the new government, are issues that Zuma intends to take control over.  In the cafes and restaurants in every Cape Town luxury hotel,  political analysts discuss these issues of their new president.  Some fear the the country will move backwards instead of forward.

However, Sipho Seepe,  a political analyst from Johannesburg states that this is just not the case. He states that there are many different groups of ethnicity surrounding Zuma at the moment, all of them leaders and that Zuma is not power hungry nor obsessed.  That there are issues of tribalism creeping into the politics of South Africa, and that the tension between the ethnic groups can become problematic is one idea that raises concern.  In the past racial tensions have been met with tribalism’s rise, and the concern is not just the tension between the blacks and the whites, but between all the tribes.  And although some of Zuma’s ideas about race, most notably his contention that English speaking whites are not truly patriotic, some believe that all the races will have an easier time communicating with and being represented by Zuma, that had been the case with his predecessor, Mbeki.  Time will tell regardless, if Zuma will follow in the footsteps of Mbeki, as some believe, or in the footsteps and with the compassion of Mandela,  as do others.

One unit of law enforcement has much to contend with.  This is a new unit formed in South Africa which will tackle issues of scandal and corruption, in the region of the continent which has the highest violent crime rate in the world.  The unit is being formed following the disbandment of the Scorpions, and elite and highly trained team of investigators that had been looking into allegations against the new president of the country, Jacob Zuma.   This disbandment was a decision made by the African National Congress.  When the unit begins to operate on July 1, 2009, the chief will be the former deputy chief of the province of the Western Cape, Anwa Dramat.   Until now, Dramat had be unknown, but will soon hold the title of the Director of the Priority Crime Investigations Unit for the country of South Africa.

While the Scorpions were successful in fighting crime and corruption, which proved beneficial for the people and the businesses such as the Cape Town, South Africa hotels and restaurants and resorts, they pursued the then presidential candidate, Zuma with a vehemence that angered many in the government.  This country has been struggling to prove to the skeptics and to the rest of the world that South Africa is safe to provide the venue in 2010 for the World Cup.  They must prove that they can get the murder rate under control, and that they are seriously going to put and end to the corruption and disarray.  Nathi Mthethwa, the Police Minister, is certain that the new unit will be successful in fighting crime under the leadership of Dramat.  For although he is not well known, he has a long reputation of resistance during the era of Apartheid, was once held prisoner at the concentration camp Robben Island,  and has been instrumental in discovering militants that were planting car bombs throughout Cape Town during the 1990’s.  This will be a new chapter for South Africa as they continue to rebuild and restructure their beautiful country.