Jacob Zuma's sixth marriage 'not to be paid for by taxpayers' money'

Johannesburg, April 16 (ANI): South African President Jacob Zuma has revealed that his wedding to his fourth wife, Bongi Ngema, which will be held next weekend, will be a private family ceremony in Nkandla.

This will be Zuma's sixth marriage, and Ngema will be his fourth current wife.

The cost of the ceremony was to be paid by Zuma with there being no government expenditure involved, spokesperson Mac Maharaj said in a statement.

The privacy of the couple and family has been requested to be respected.

Maharaj said reports in the media suggesting the state bore the maintenance costs of Zuma's wives, was incorrect.

"The spouses pay their own living or household expenses, be it food, mortgages, lights, water and so forth. Nothing is paid for by the state in the four households of the spouses. They live in private homes," news24 quoted him as saying.

The presidency did provide logistical and administrative support for spouse participation at state and official functions and provided a total of 60 domestic economy class flights per a year for child and child-minder travel.Transport costs for school-going children were also included.

Otherwise, the living expenses of Zuma's children were borne by the family and not the state, Maharaj said. (ANI)