Jacob Zuma’s first wife and childhood sweetheart was Gertrude Sizakhele Khumalo, who is also known as Makhumalo Zuma. They met in 1959, when she was 19 years old, which is a long time ago.
They were apart when Zuma went to prison, but they got married as soon as he got out in 1973. They do not have any children together. Gertrude lives at Nkandla, and if what the news says is true, she looks after some of Zuma’s children.
People who know Gertrude well, like Zuma’s younger sister Sibongile, say that she is a rock of strength. While Zuma was in exile, she became a joke, but she couldn’t give up on their love.
She waited for him while he was in exile, and she didn’t listen to people who said Zuma was dead and wouldn’t come back to her. She has been there for him, and as Zuma’s first wife, she has learned to accept that he wants to marry other women.
Gertrude is older than Jacob Zuma by two years, but she treats him with respect. She said, “I loved him, and I will always love him,” when talking about how she felt about him.
The Sizakhele Makhumalo Zuma Foundation was started by her. Rural and agricultural areas get help from this group. During Zuma’s time as president, from 2009 to 2014, she was the first lady of South Africa.