A row has erupted in South Africa after it emerged taxpayers are spending more than 15.5 million rand (US$2.1 million) a year to support South African President Jacob Zuma’s three wives and some of his 20 children.
The figure, almost double the presidential spousal budget a year ago, was condemned as “exorbitant” by the opposition leader, Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, who said the size of Zuma’s family “makes corruption almost inevitable.”
This prompted a sharp riposte from the governing African National Congress (ANC), which accused Zille, who is white, of “cultural intolerance.” Zuma is a member of the Zulu tribe, in which polygamy is a traditional practice.
In a written answer to a parliamentary question on Tuesday, Collins Chabane, a minister charged with monitoring government performance, said the state had a 15.5 million rand budget for Zuma’s family this year. This compares with the spousal support office budget of 4.5 million rand in 2005-2006 and 8 million rand in 2008-2009.
The spousal office paid for personal support staff, such as secretaries and researchers, as well as domestic and international air travel and accommodation, Chabane said.
Cell phones for spouses and their secretaries, laptops and printers and a special daily allowance for “incidental” expenses were also covered.
“The state provides all reasonable administrative, logistical and other support to the spouses to enable them to meet these responsibilities in a manner that permits them actively to pursue their own careers and interests if they so desire,” he said.
Thobeka Zuma was engaged in community work related to health, Sizakele Zuma was dealing with agriculture and food security, while Nompumelelo Zuma was working with orphans and vulnerable children, he added.
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