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President Jacob Zuma and his fiance Ms Bongi Ngema dance as they take part in a traditional wedding ceremony known as Umgcagco at his home in Nkandla, South Africa on April 20, 2012. Zuma's wives, Ms Bongi Ngema and Tobeka Madiba, brawled when they were invited for the same television interview at the South Africa's Broadcasting Corporation's (SABC) studios for a Women's Day TV show.
Tempers flared between two of South Africa's president Jacob Zuma's wives when they were invited for the same television interview at the South Africa's Broadcasting Corporation's (SABC) studios for a Women's Day TV show leading to the cancellation of the interview altogether.
SABC staff who witnessed the incident which unfolded right in front of them said there was a lot of shouting and screaming between Ms Bongi Ngema, one of Mr Zuma's wives and his third wife Tobeka Madiba as they engaged in a public display of rivalry.
The broadcaster had sent invites to both first ladies with the expectation that one of them would turn up for the live TV interview at the SABC studios in Auckland Park, Johannesburg to discuss women issues only for both of them to show up at the same time.
The idea was to have one of the first ladies to discuss about the programmes they are running that relate to issues affecting women in South Africa.
SET UP
According to an SABC staff member who spoke to The Mail and Guardian but did not want to be identified as she is not authorised to speak on behalf of the South African public broadcaster, Ms Madiba and Ms Ngema lost their temper after they caught sight of each other on the third floor of the SABC building.
Both first ladies accused SABC's top executives of setting them up saying it was a conspiracy against them.
It is not clear how they got the same invitation to a show but head of TV Jimmi Matthews who intervened to quell the drama which SABC staff said was ‘entertaining' said the matter had been resolved amicably insisting that the station did not orchestrate the chaos intentionally.
"There was some confusion as to how the invitations were extended as they were sent out by two separate units leading to both ladies showing up on the same day," he said.
JEALOUSY
The show had to be cancelled because the two women did not want to participate in the interview – either together or separately.
It is not the first time that Zuma's wives have engaged in displays of rivalry in the public.
In 2010, the Times reported that his second wife Nompumellelo Ntuli did not attend his wedding to his third wife Toboeka Madiba as the two are extremely jealous of each other.
In another incident, Madiba appeared to have shoved Ntuli aside so as to position herself close to the president for a photo opportunity as the president was delivering the state of the Nation address to parliament in 2009.
Media reports suggest that fights between the two started when they both moved to the president's homestead in Nkandla.
Zuma, 72 who is serving his second term as South Africa's president is a proud polygamist who follows the Zulu tradition wedding currently has four wives.
Married six times in total, Mr Zuma has 21 children and has married twice since becoming president in lavish traditional ceremonies in Nkandla.
He has also fathered a child out of wedlock.
One of his wives committed suicide in 2000 and his ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, is now chairperson of the African Union commission.
Source: Daily nation
Zuma wives clash as they meet at TV studio - Africa - nation.co.ke