Jabu Ngwenya
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/ 21 December 2007

Family by numbers

A man chooses to have many wives. Each wife has her own household. They bear his children and, together, they are a large number. This has been the custom among the Nguni people of South Africa for many generations. Jacob Zuma practises it, as does King Zwelithini and other Zulu tribesmen. But many women have spoken out, saying it is demeaning to women and gives a great sense of inequality.