Gertrude Sizakele Khumalo (born 2 March 1940), also known as Sizakele MaKhumalo Zuma, was the

First Lady of South Africa First Lady of South Africa is the title held by the wife or most senior wife of the president of South Africa. First ladies of South Africa Apartheid era Post-Apartheid era See also * President of South Africa * State President of South Afr ...

, and is the first wife in a polygamous marriage with

Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan name Msholozi, and was a former anti-aparth ...

, the former

President of South Africa The president of South Africa is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of South Africa. The president heads the executive branch of the Government of South Africa and is the commander-in-chief of the South African Nationa ...

Biography

Khumalo met Zuma in 1959 and the two started a relationship, but they were separated when Zuma was arrested in 1963 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Zuma and Khumalo were married after he was released in 1973, and in 1975 Zuma went into exile leaving Khumalo behind. While in exile he started a relationship with another

ANC The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election installe ...

exile

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma (née Dlamini; born 27 January 1949), sometimes referred to by her initials NDZ, is a South African politician, medical doctor and former anti-apartheid activist. A longstanding member of the African National Cong ...

and the two later got married, making Khumalo Zuma's first wife in a polygamous marriage according to Zulu tradition. The couple have no children. By close sources to the Zuma family it has been alleged that Khumalo has been set to "mother" three of Zuma's children which he had out of wedlock according to a Zulu culture and tradition. The children are named as Nombuso, Nonhlanhla and an unamed 39 year old male.

First Lady of South Africa

Zuma became the 4th

after the general election in 2009, and chose Khumalo to be his

First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...

from 2009 to 2014, after which he chose one of his other wives, Nompumelelo Ntuli Zuma, to succeed her. She is the founder of th
Sizakhele MaKhumalo Zuma Foundation

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khumalo, Gertrude Sizakele First Ladies of South Africa Jacob Zuma Living people Zulu people 1940 births