Jacob Zuma

He is a polygamist and has married six times. At present, he has four wives and is considered to be the father of an estimated 20 children, born to his wives, girlfriends and mistresses.

He was born on April 12, 1942, at Nkandla, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, to Geinamazwi Zuma, a policeman, and his wife, Nobhekisisa Bessie. He has two brothers, Michael and Joseph.

When his father died in World War II, he and his mother moved to Maphumulo. He began to support his family through cattle shepherding from an early age and received no formal schooling thereafter. Eventually, he taught himself to read and write.

In 1958, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) and the ANC Youth League (ANCYL). The following year, he joined the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU).

In 1962, he joined a political study group in Cato Manor (Mkhumbane), and was recruited as an active member of MK, an armed wing of ANC. The following year, he was recruited into the South African Communist Party (SACP).

In June 1963, he left the country for military training but was arrested along with a group of 45 recruits. They were convicted for conspiring to overthrow the government and were sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment on Robben Island.

After his release in December 1973, he helped mobilize internal resistance and was instrumental in the re-establishment of ANC underground structures in Natal between 1974 and 1975. He later became part of an initiative, led by Harry Gwala, to send young people out of the country for military training.

After Gwala’s arrest, he left the country in December 1975. Over the next 12 years, he operated from Southern Africa and was involved in underground work along with Thabo Mbeki and others, supporting ANC structures operating inside South Africa.

In 1998, he was awarded the ‘Nelson Mandela Award for Outstanding Leadership’ for his role in ending political violence in KwaZulu-Natal.