Zuma, 21, appeared on Monday night at the annual reed dance as the liphovela – the royal fiancee or concubine – and will become King Mswati III’s 16th wife.

The 56-year-old king has led Africa’s last absolute monarchy since taking power in 1986, days after his 18th birthday, and has been criticised for his lavish lifestyle while most of the population lives in poverty.

The days-long reed dance is a traditional rite of womanhood, with young women singing and dancing bare-chested, wearing traditional clothing that includes anklets and thick colourful tassles, some carrying mock swords and shields.

Also known as the Umhlanga, it was regarded as an example of Eswatini’s “graceful” culture, said Bianca Dlamini-Holman, a Swazi influencer, in a 2023 YouTube vlog about that year’s dance. About 5,000 people attended this year’s celebrations at the Ludzidzini royal village in Lobamba.

It is not the first time King Mswati, who has dozens of children, has announced a much younger bride at the Umhlanga. In September 2005, 17-year-old Phindile Nkambule was presented as his 13th fiancee at a reed dance, with the BBC reporting at the time that she had caught his eye at the main dance the previous month.

Just days before, the king had rescinded a ban on sex for and with girls under 18, which he had implemented in an effort to fight HIV/Aids. Two months after imposing the ban in 2001, Mswati fined himself a cow for breaking his own rule by taking a 17-year-old as his ninth wife, according to the BBC.

The king rules the country of 1.2 million people by decree, with political parties banned and elected officials only existing in an advisory capacity.

In 2003, Mswati’s 10th wife, Zena Mahlangu, was abducted, aged 18, while preparing for her A-level exams, her mother, Lindiwe Dlamini, who fought an unsuccessful legal battle to have her daughter returned, alleged.

Western nations have imposed punitive sanctions on Russia, including the freezing of Mr Putin’s foreign assets over his invasion of Ukraine.

But Mr Zuma said Mr Putin’s decision was “justifiable”, according to a statement

released by his foundation.

“We all need peace in this world. Therefore we would like to urge those involved to bring peace as swiftly as possible so that lives can be saved,” the statement said.

Mr Zuma was forced out of office by his own party in 2018, the African National Congress (ANC), over corruption allegations. He denies any wrongdoing.

The protests were allegedly organised by supporters of incarcerated former President Jacob Zuma, 79, who are calling for his release.

Zuma was jailed for 15 months for contempt of court and is serving the term at Estcourt Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, where he handed himself over last Wednesday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation concerning the violence mostly affecting Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal provinces.

More than 300 people have been arrested by police over links to the the torching of trucks, looting of shops, burning of tyres and the blocking of some major highways.

Most shops were closed on Monday as some business owners feared their establishments would be attacked.

“On Sunday morning, the police responded to a call from Alexandra Clinic, where they found a body with gunshot wounds. Later that day, the body of a security guard with assault wounds was found at Jeppestown,” the South African Police Service said in a statement.

“The third body was also discovered on Sunday evening in Dobsonville while the fourth body was discovered with gunshot wounds in Germiston,” the service said, adding one of the victims was a security and that investigations would establish the exact causes of death.

“In KwaZulu-Natal there is a report of two people who have been killed, one in Inanda and the second one in Umbilo. The circumstances leading to their deaths are under investigation.”

Police in “hot spots”

With the police struggling to contain the protests, the South African National Defence Forces (SANDF) has since been deployed in areas regarded as “hot spots” in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

“The SANDF has commenced pre-deployment processes and procedures in line with a request for assistance received from the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure, to assist law enforcement agencies deployed in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to quell the unrest that has gripped both provinces in the last few days,” the SANDF said in a statement.

“The deployment will commence as soon as all processes are in place. The duration and number of soldiers will be determined based on the assessment of the situation on the ground by the relevant law enforcement agencies.

“Furthermore, it must be emphasised that the SANDF’s deployment objective is to provide safety and a safe working environment for police and other law enforcement agencies while they carry out their constitutionally mandated law and order duties.”

The case

Zuma was convicted of contempt of court after refusing to obey summons to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture.

His incarceration first sparked a wave of protests in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal on Friday.

The violence escalated at the weekend and from Saturday night until Monday, some protests were reported in Johannesburg.

Johannesburg’s central business district and surrounding areas like Jeppestown, Berea, Malvern and Denver have been experiencing some unrest.

Alexandra, Bramley and Wynberg townships near the opulent suburb of Sandton were also affected by the violence.

The public is anticipating the outcome of the Constitutional Court’s ruling on Zuma’s application to have his jail sentence rescinded.

The apex court is yet to deliver its judgement after hearing arguments from his legal representatives on Monday.

The protests come as South Africa battles a third wave of Covid-19 infections, with most protesters seen without masks.

Police expect the march to attract more than 2,000 people and planned to deploy in strength at both the vigil and the march.
“We are to make sure citizens are safe,” Kwa-Zulu Natal police spokeswoman Thembeka Mbhele said. “I want to appeal to the marchers to make sure they work hand-in-hand with the police. If anyone commits a crime, they will be arrested.”
Zuma was deputy president at the time of the 1990s arms deal, which has cast a shadow over politics in South Africa for years. Schabir Shaikh, his former financial adviser, was found guilty and jailed in 2005 for trying to solicit bribes for Zuma from a French arms company.
Charges were filed against Zuma but then dropped by national prosecutors shortly before he successfully ran for president in 2009.
Since his election nine years ago, his opponents have fought a lengthy legal battle to have the charges reinstated. Zuma countered with his own legal challenges, but prosecutors re-filed the charges after Zuma was forced from power by his own party in February.

It remains to be seen whether Zuma will announce his response to the ANC National Executive Council’s decision to recall him as president. Reuters news agency said Zuma’s spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that a scheduled cabinet meeting has been postponed in the light of the crisis.
The ANC chairperson is also on record to have said if Zuma failed to respect the recall they will employ more drastic means.
Chairman Gwede Mantashe is quoted to have said the party will be forced to subject President Jacob Zuma to the humiliation of a vote of no confidence or even impeachment.

The group says it wants to prosecute Duduzane Zuma on manslaughter, or culpable homicide, charges emanating from a car crash in which a 27-year-old woman died in 2014.

The man who intends to spearhead Afriforum’s private prosecution is former state prosecutor General Nel who is most well-known for securing the murder conviction of former Olympic and Paralympian star Oscar Pistorius.

Mr Nel is nicknamed “the Pitbull”

Phumzile Dube died when Duduzane Zuma’s car collided with the taxi in which she was travelling. Her two-year-old daughter survived.

An inquest found that Duduzane Zuma’s negligent conduct led to the crash but the National Prosecuting Authority declined to pursue charges against him, citing insufficient evidence.

Afriforum says it believes the deceased woman’s family deserves justice, no matter who the perpetrator is.

Duduzane Zuma has not yet commented.

“Just heard a Zombie Zuma giving a speech on the news. Massacring the beautiful English language. Uneducated creature. Even the other moron [Zimbabwe’s President Robert] Mugabe speaks much better,” he was reported to have said in the post which was later deleted.

Mr Zuma’s son, Edward, accused Mr Govender of hate speech, and threatened legal action against him.

“We fail as a family to understand what prompted Ravi Govender to make such a statement referring to our father as a zombie. Is this still part of freedom of speech? We believe that this is the worst form of abuse of democracy that many of our leaders fought so hard to achieve,” he was quoted by the Times Live news site as saying.

Mr Zuma has refused to bow to public pressure to resign despite being dogged by allegations of corruption.
 
 
 

South Africa’s highest court has ruled that a vote of no-confidence against President Jacob Zuma can be held in secret.

The constitutional court said that the Speaker of parliament had the right to order such a move. She has previously said she did not have the power.

Opposition parties believe that under a secret ballot, MPs from Mr Zuma’s ANC party would vote against him.

He has survived several previous votes of no-confidence.

Mr Zuma has been under constant pressure over everything from corruption allegations to a controversial cabinet reshuffle that saw his widely respected finance minister fired.

Delivering his verdict, Chief Justice Mgoeng Mgoeng said that under South Africa’s separation of powers, it was up to the Speaker of parliament to decide how the vote was conducted.

The speaker, Baleka Mbete, is a top ANC official and had argued that the rules of parliament did not allow for a secret ballot.

A new date for a motion of no-confidence now has to be set.

On top of the confidence votes, President Zuma has lost a number of prominent court cases against him, including one which ended with him being ordered to pay back a portion of state funds used to refurbish his private home in Nkandla.

But it was the reshuffle that proved particularly damaging, with Mr Zuma facing calls from within his own party to resign.

His term ends in 2019 but he is due to stand down as ANC leader later this year.

South Africa has fallen into recession for the first time in eight years after economic growth shrank by 0.7% between January and March.

The downturn, due to weak manufacturing and trade, follows a 0.3% fall in GDP in the final quarter last year.

It is the first time that economic has slowed for two consecutive quarters – the technical definition of a recession – since 2009.

The value of the rand fell by 1% on the currency markets.

Analysts had expected GDP to grow by 0.9% during the first quarter. However, Joe de Beer, deputy director general of Statistics South Africa, said: “We can now pronounce that the economy is in recession.”

He added: “The major industries that contracted in the economy were the trade and manufacturing sectors.”

Junk status

Africa’s third-largest economy is under pressure after President Jacob Zuma fired its respected finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, earlier this year.

It prompted two credit rating agencies, Standard and Poor’s and Fitch, to downgrade South Africa’s credit worthiness to junk.

This means it is more expensive for South Africa to borrow money, because it is seen as having a higher risk defaulting on its debts.

Last week, S&P and Fitch pointed to further concerns about the South African economy, including uncertainty over who will succeed President Zuma as leader of the ruling African National Congress.

A successor is expected to be chosen in December, but Mr Zuma can remain as head of state until an election in 2019.

The African National Congress (ANC) said the allegations questioned the credibility of the government and such matters could not be allowed to fester.

Mr Zuma recently survived calls for his resignation by some senior ANC members.

The allegations have been dismissed as a fabrication by Mr Zuma’s lawyers.

The Gupta family of businessmen has said the leaks were “politically inspired”.

One of the revelations of alleged links disclosed in the emails is that the Guptas helped the president’s son, Duduzane Zuma, buy a $1.3m (£1m) apartment in Dubai.

In addition, the emails reportedly indicated that President Zuma was hoping to take up residency in the United Arab Emirates. A claim that was denied.

South Africa’s ruling party has called for an investigation into emails which appear to show allegedly corrupt links between President Jacob Zuma’s family and wealthy businessmen.

The African National Congress (ANC) said the allegations questioned the credibility of the government and such matters could not be allowed to fester.

Mr Zuma recently survived calls for his resignation by some senior ANC members.

The allegations have been dismissed as a fabrication by Mr Zuma’s lawyers.

The Gupta family of businessmen has said the leaks were “politically inspired”.

One of the revelations in the emails, known as GuptaLeaks, is that President Zuma was hoping to take up residency in the United Arab Emirates. A claim that was denied.

The reports suggest deepening ties between President Zuma and the controverisal Gupta business family. But the president’s spokesman has dismissed them as an utter fabrication. Pressure on Mr Zuma has been mounting in recent months because of corruption scandals, cabinet sackings and his handling of the economy. Senior members of Mr Zuma’s governing ANC this weekend tabled a motion of no confidence against him – which has been put to a closed-door meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee.

It is the second time in six months that party rebels have mounted such a challenge.

Under pressure

The BBC’s Karen Allen in Johannesburg says the ANC now looks like it’s in permanent firefighting mode. Emails between President Zuma’s son Duduzane and figures from a company owned by the controversial Gupta family – who reportedly wield considerable influence over Mr Zuma – include a letter to the Abu Dabi royal family, our correspondent says.

“I am happy to inform you that my family has decided to make the UAE a second home,” the president is quoted as saying. “It will be a great honour for me and my family to gain your patronage during our proposed residency in the UAE.”

This opens up questions as to whether this is part of an exit strategy, with Mr Zuma’s party appearing to be turning against him, our correspondent adds. The reports were quickly dismissed by the presidential spokesman as “utter fabrication and mischief-making”.

Meanwhile, it is thought that Zuma loyalists could well block any no confidence motion on technical grounds.

However, it echoes a similar motion from opposition parties being pushed through parliament which is now being examined by the constitutional court. The president’s successor is expected to be selected at a major conference of the ANC’s top brass in December.

Until then the party looks set to limp from crisis to crisis, our correspondent says.
Mr Zuma’s allies say he will remain in office until his term ends in 2019, but evidence of his unpopularity seems to be growing. He was forced to abandon a May Day rally this year after he was booed by workers demanding his resignation.

His ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Deputy President Cyril Rampahosa are vying to succeed him.

The reports suggest deepening ties between President Zuma and the controverisal Gupta business family.

But the president’s spokesman has dismissed them as an utter fabrication.

Pressure on Mr Zuma has been mounting in recent months because of corruption scandals, cabinet sackings and his handling of the economy.

Senior members of Mr Zuma’s governing ANC this weekend tabled a motion of no confidence against him – which has been put to a closed-door meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee.

It is the second time in six months that party rebels have mounted such a challenge.

Under pressure

The BBC’s Karen Allen in Johannesburg says the ANC now looks like it’s in permanent fire fighting mode.

Emails between President Zuma’s son Duduzane and figures from a company owned by the controversial Gupta family – who reportedly wield considerable influence over Mr Zuma – include a letter to the Abu Dabi royal family, our correspondent says.

“I am happy to inform you that my family has decided to make the UAE a second home,” the president is quoted as saying. “It will be a great honour for me and my family to gain your patronage during our proposed residency in the UAE.”

This opens up questions as to whether this is part of an exit strategy, with Mr Zuma’s party appearing to be turning against him, our correspondent adds.

South Africa has seen numerous protests to demand Mr Zuma’s resignation

The reports were quickly dismissed by the presidential spokesman as “utter fabrication and mischief-making”.

Meanwhile, it is thought that Zuma loyalists could well block any no confidence motion on technical grounds.

However, it echoes a similar motion from opposition parties being pushed through parliament which is now being examined by the constitutional court.

The president’s successor is expected to be selected at a major conference of the ANC’s top brass in December.

Until then the party looks set to limp from crisis to crisis, our correspondent says.

Mr Zuma’s allies say he will remain in office until his term ends in 2019, but evidence of his unpopularity seems to be growing. He was forced to abandon a May Day rally this year after he was booed by workers demanding his resignation.

His ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Deputy President Cyril Rampahosa are vying to succeed him.

The ANC is expected to pick a new leader in December and the winner will likely become South Africa’s next president when elections are held in 2019.

Dlamini-Zuma has also been publicly endorsed by the ANC Women’s League although the presidential campaign has not officially started.

Dlamini Zuma’s term as AU Commissioner ended in February.

In her final speech as Chair of the African Union Commission she promised to continue her work on the continent by remaining a soldier for the African course.

President Jacob Zuma has repeatedly been accused of corruption and his ties to a family of local tycoons has been brought under scrutiny.

His decision to endorse the ex-wife has been criticised by some opposition members who see in Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma a “preferred candidate” capable of shielding the ex-husband from looming graft charges after he is out of office.

Nikoi, a Ghanaian national, is reported to have arrived in Cape Town on March 17 on holiday and to celebrate her wedding anniversary with her family.

She went missing a few days later – on Human Rights Day – when she went for a hike on Table Mountain.

Zuma’s spokesperson, Bongani Ngqulunga, said the president made a special plea for assistance to find Nikoi.

“We appeal to anyone with information to assist the police to locate Ms Nikoi so that she can be reunited with her family. The South African Police and other departments such as Social Development will continue to provide as much support as possible during this difficult time,” said Zuma.

Nikoi’s husband Chris believes she might be kept “against her will”, and asked for the potential kidnapper “not harm her and release her safely”.

“If anyone is holding her, please don’t hurt her, release her because her family needs her,” he said.

Chris said Nikoi disappeared on March 21 when she and their daughter went hiking up Platteklip Gorge.

“We have done all efforts of searching Table Mountain and clearly she is not there. She is somewhere against her will,” he said.

Chris has not been at work since Nikoi vanished.

“This is the most difficult time the family has found itself in,” said Chris, adding that their 22-year-old daughter is taking the news of her mother’s disappearance very hard as she will be graduating at the end of the month.

“The graduation day will be the most difficult day without her,” he said, adding that their other two children, 16 and 20, living in the US, were receiving counselling.

“I am lying in bed thinking what I could have done to prevent her from going missing. Not a single day passes without my children calling asking if she has been found.

I am hoping that the government will leave no stone unturned to locate her,” said Chris.

Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said the “search for the missing person is ongoing, all leads are followed, the missing person has not been found yet”.

South Africa’s scandal-hit President Jacob Zuma has abandoned a May Day rally after he was booed by workers demanding his resignation.

Scuffles broke out between Mr Zuma’s supporters and opponents, resulting in all speeches being cancelled.

The main labour federation, Cosatu, called on Mr Zuma to step down last month after he sacked his widely respected finance minister.

Mr Zuma’s allies say he will remain in office until his term ends in 2019.

He was seen on live television hastily leaving the podium and being whisked away in a motorcade from the rally in Bloemfontein city, Reuters news agency reports.

Mr Zuma attended the rally despite the fact that powerful affiliates of Cosatu, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, had opposed his presence.

Cosatu is part of a formal alliance with the governing African National Congress (ANC).

Earlier, sections of the crowd sang a song which, loosely translated, means: “Have you heard the good news? Zuma is going”, South Africa’s privately owned News24 site reports.

Cosatu leader Sdumo Dlamini said the rally had been marred by “chaos”, forcing its cancellation.

The protest required “thorough reflection” on the part of the country’s leaders, he said.

Senior ANC officials were also booed at a May Day rally in Durban city, the political heartland of Mr Zuma.

Pressure on Mr Zuma to resign has been mounting since he sacked Pravin Gordhan as finance minister in March.

It led to global rating agencies downgrading South Africa to junk status.

The reshuffle was condemned by trade unions, big business, the opposition and and senior members of the government, including Deputy President Cyril Rampahosa.

The opposition has repeatedly accused Mr Zuma of being corrupt, and says the reshuffle was aimed at giving him and his allies greater access to government money.

Mr Zuma said the reshuffle was aimed at promoting “radical economic transformation” to benefit the poor black majority.

South Africa’s president has been dogged by allegations of corruption for more than a decade.

Last year, a court ruled that he should face corruption charges over a 1999 arms deal.
Mr Zuma is appealing against the ruling.

In a separate case last year, South Africa’s highest court ruled that he had breached his oath of office by failing to repay government money used to upgrade his private residence.

He repaid the money, but rejected calls to sep down.

Mr Zuma is due to step down as leader of the ANC in December, and as South Africa’s president in 2019.

His ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Mr Rampahosa are vying to succeed him in both positions.

Scuffles broke out between Mr Zuma’s supporters and opponents, resulting in all speeches being cancelled.

The main labour federation, Cosatu, called on Mr Zuma to step down last month after he sacked his widely respected finance minister.

Mr Zuma’s allies say he will remain in office until his term ends in 2019.

He was seen on live television hastily leaving the podium and being whisked away in a motorcade from the rally in Bloemfontein city, Reuters news agency reports.

Mr Zuma attended the rally despite the fact that powerful affiliates of Cosatu, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, had opposed his presence.

Cosatu is part of a formal alliance with the governing African National Congress (ANC).

Earlier, sections of the crowd sang a song which, loosely translated, means: “Have you heard the good news? Zuma is going”, South Africa’s privately owned News24 site reports.

Cosatu leader Sdumo Dlamini said the rally had been marred by “chaos”, forcing its cancellation.

The protest required “thorough reflection” on the part of the country’s leaders, he said.

Senior ANC officials were also booed at a May Day rally in Durban city, the political heartland of Mr Zuma.

Pressure on Mr Zuma to resign has been mounting since he sacked Pravin Gordhan as finance minister in March.

It led to global rating agencies downgrading South Africa to junk status.

The reshuffle was condemned by trade unions, big business, the opposition and and senior members of the government, including Deputy President Cyril Rampahosa.
The opposition has repeatedly accused Mr Zuma of being corrupt, and says the reshuffle was aimed at giving him and his allies greater access to government money.
Mr Zuma said the reshuffle was aimed at promoting “radical economic transformation” to benefit the poor black majority.
South Africa’s president has been dogged by allegations of corruption for more than a decade.
Last year, a court ruled that he should face corruption charges over a 1999 arms deal.
Mr Zuma is appealing against the ruling.
In a separate case last year, South Africa’s highest court ruled that he had breached his oath of office by failing to repay government money used to upgrade his private residence.
He repaid the money, but rejected calls to sep down.
Mr Zuma is due to step down as leader of the ANC in December, and as South Africa’s president in 2019.
His ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Mr Rampahosa are vying to succeed him in both positions.

It was looking at a complaint by some of the ANC top executives that Jacob Zuma had failed to consult them over reshuffling his cabinet.

After considering the complaint, the ANC has decided not to press for Mr Zuma to resign, a party official said.

Mr Zuma has been under growing pressure since sacking respected Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

That led to South Africa’s credit rating being cut to junk status putting more pressure on a troubled economy.

Mr Gordhan was dropped as part of a major cabinet reshuffle which left some in the ANC leadership questioning whether Mr Zuma should remain as president.

Key ANC allies, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the main trades union federation Cosatu, joined in the calls for him to go.

But the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), discussing the cabinet reshuffle, has given the president its backing.

The ‘Teflon Don’ – Milton Nkosi, BBC Africa

Image: AFP

President Jacob Zuma must be breathing a sigh of relief today following the acceptance of his explanation for his controversial sacking of the finance minister.

He certainly has crossed the first hurdle in his mission to stay in the job.

Newspaper headlines are describing him as the Teflon Don because of his survival skills. But this does not mean that he is completely off the hook.

Opposition parties, together with some in his own governing alliance, are planning mass action through public protests and are still demanding for him to resign.

The speaker of parliament is considering recalling a joint sitting for a vote of no confidence put forward by the Democratic Alliance.

The Economic Freedom Fighters went to court asking permission for his impeachment. However for now, Mr Zuma remains president of the country and leader of Africa’s oldest liberation movement.

The committee accepted that the dismissal came because of the “irretrievable breakdown” of Mr Gordhan’s relationship with the president, the ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe told a news conference in Johannesburg.

Mr Mantashe praised new Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba, saying that he “is going to do a good job”.

Image copyrightREUTERS

Image captionDemonstrators came out in the capital, Pretoria, in response to the news of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s sacking last week

Mr Zuma has been cleared by the NWC of the charge that he reshuffled the cabinet without consultation.

He is said to have briefed top ANC officials in December of his decision to dismiss Mr Gordhan, but the leaders persuaded him to delay the sacking.

The NWC is the ANC’s second most important decision-making body, the first being the party’s integrity committee.

It now remains to be seen how the integrity committee will proceed from this point, the BBC’s Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says.

What is significant with this situation is that it is the first time key ANC’s allies publicly turned on Mr Zuma, our correspondent adds.

At his press conference on Wednesday, Mr Mantashe lashed out at the SACP and Cosatu for speaking to the media about ANC’s internal affairs.

He accused the two allies of betraying the ANC’s confidence when they went public with disagreements over the reshuffle list.

SOURCE: BBC

Protesters took to the streets in the capital Pretoria after President Jacob Zuma’s overhaul of his Cabinet.

Zuma called the sackings a ‘radical socio-economic transformation’.

source: aljazeera