Kate Mantsho Was One Of Jacob Zuma’s 6 Wives- Her Life, Death, 8 Facts

Kate Mantsho is the late wife of South Africa’s former president and outright polygamist. What is known of her is closely linked with her life as his wife and events that led to her alleged suicide in 2000. She was at the peak of her life when her body was discovered, even in death controversies surrounding her dead keep resurfacing.

The former wife of the 4th democratically elected president of South Africa was a rude shock to her family and close ones. Though her husband was not yet a president at the time, he went on to be elected as South Africa’s president.

Biography Of Kate Mantsho

Kate Mantsho was born in 1956 and is originally from Mozambique. She and Jacob Zuma got married in 1976 and remained so till her death in 2000.

She had five children with him; Saady who was born in 1980, the twins Duduzane and Duduzile born in 1984, Phumzile born in 1989 and Vusi.

Kate Mantsho Death

Kate Mantsho and Jacob Zuma’s marriage was a troubled one, she left a suicide note with the then Director-General in the Presidency, Rev. Frank Chikane on the day she died which described her marriage as ’24 years in hell’.

On the 8th of December, 2000, there was a distress call by the domestics to her son Duduzane pertaining to something happening in the then deputy president’s official residence, Oliver Thambo House in Pretoria. Upon reaching her, he found her non-responsive and foaming on the mouth, however, she left a note.

The suicide note has continued to generate a lot of controversies as different sides involved, notably, Frank Chikane and the Zuma family have thrown accusations at each other. In a recent zoom meeting, part of the Zooming with the Zuma’s, Duduzane in an interview with his father said the last time he saw the letter was in the hand of Chikane.

Chikane has refuted claims of being called a liar by restating the events leading to her death in which he was called by the depressed late Kate Mantsho to tell him she had taken an overdose of Antimalarial drugs but upon his arrival, he called an ambulance and wondered why one had not been called.

She was confirmed dead on arrival at the hospital, he later had to relay the information to her husband who had been on a business trip.

She tried talking to him and told one of the sons to pick a letter, which turned out to be the suicide note, which he never leaked to the press.

It seems the content of the suicide note was revealed by the police since it was attached to the docket. She was laid to rest at Heroes Acre in Westpark Cemetry in Johannesburg in a state funeral.

Here Are 8 Fast Facts About Kate Mantsho

1.Kate Mantsho Is One Of His Numerous Wives

Till date, 6 women have been linked to being wives of Jacob Zuma aside from his fiances and other women not publicly acknowledged.

Kate Mantsho was his second wife and at the time of her death in 2000, he was married to three other women.

2.She Was His First Wife To Have A Child

At the time of her marriage to Jacob Zuma, he was already married to his first wife, Gertrude Sizakele Khumalo who did not have children. In 1980, Kate Mantsho had their first child, however, by then, the polygamous Zuma had a child through an extramarital affair with Minah Shongwe.

3.Kate Mantsho Had 5 Children With Jacob Zuma

Within the 24 year period of her marriage to Jacob Zuma, Kate Mantsho had five children. Her children were still young at the time of her death in 2000 but still have memories of their mother.

Among her 5 children, the twins, Duduzane and Duduzile are so vocal in their defense of their father.

4.She Committed Suicide

In president Mbeki’s address, he said she died from a heart attack but later investigations showed she had died from an overdose that caused the heart attack.

Mbeki’s message was in no way trying to undermine the cause of her death but it was said before the post mortem was done.

5.Jacob Zuma Was Barred From Attending Her funeral

The contents of her suicide note barred her husband from attending her funeral as she wanted only her dear children, maternal family, and a few members of the Zuma family.

6.Kate Mantsho Son Duduzane Is The Closest To The Father

Of all of Jacob Zuma’s 20 children, Duduzane seems to be the closest to him. Duduzane is very vocal about his support for his father and has had to field some controversies surrounding his father’s time in and out of office.

In 2018, his passport was seized when he returned home for a family gathering, Prior to that his Porsche had collided with a taxi in 2014 leading to the deads of two persons, though investigations were opened, he was acquitted.

His conversations with his father in Zooming With The Zuma’s to clear issues keep sparking controversies.

7.What Was Kate Mantsho Net Worth

At the time of her death, her husband was the deputy president of South Africa. It is not known if she was engaged in other business activities or professional life but what is certain is the fact that as president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma’s family enjoyed privileges from the state treasury, perhaps higher than any other president before him. It is estimated that R54.6 was spent on his wives.

Jacob Zuma is worth about $20 million and is considered one of the richest politicians in South Africa.

8.Duduzane, Kate Mantsho Son Defends Father’s Polygamy

In the wake of fathering a child outside wedlock, the nation was aghast as to why the then-president could not practice the values of safe sex in the face of high prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS scourge in South Africa.

Opinions varied as to the moral and health implications of unprotected sex with an unmarried spouse on the president’s side while he was at the forefront of the campaign to prevent the further spread of the disease.

Following allegations of Jacob Zuma’s anti-HIV/AIDS prevention campaign through safe sex, Duduzane has publicly decried the insensitivity of talking about his father’s private matters. He defended his father’s polygamy by stating that they are ready to share their father.