Durban - Former President Jacob Zuma’s fiancée has denied painting him as an absent father on social media, saying she was misunderstood.
Nonkanyiso Conco, 25, who has a 2-year-old son with Zuma, took to Instagram on Thursday and penned an appreciation post to her son. She expressed her gratitude to him and said he was the reason she needed to work harder.
Seemingly overcome with emotions, Conco poured her heart out, saying there were circumstances that required the presence of both parents in a child’s life and when one parent was not available to fulfil their duties it caused heart-wrenching pain.
As if speaking directly to her son, Conco then said, should he find himself in trying circumstances or was engulfed with confusion, he needed to remember that she was a single, young parent who had her own aspirations and dreams.
“I have made peace with that I’ll attend school activities alone, travel the world with him alone and take all responsibilities on raising a boy child and installing best values in his life,” she wrote in her post.
When approached by the Sunday Tribune, Conco sang a different tune, standing by Zuma, saying he has always supported her and their son. She said the post was “a declaration of a young woman who is marrying a polygamous man” and she had made peace that theirs was not an ordinary union.
“Any person with common sense would understand that a man who was a head of state and has such a large family wouldn’t have time for things like walking a child to a park, attending doctor’s appointments or just to buy ice cream at a mall every day,” said Conco.
“We all know for a man like Mr Zuma it’s impossible to run family errands every day or to be there for every special day. He missed our son’s first birthday celebration I hosted last year because he was out of the country, but this year could be different. He misses many of our son’s milestones. However, we can’t expect him to be there every day.”
Conco added that she had ample support from her own family and that a child was a precious gift from God, who was her provider.
“Being there and raising a child, I’m doing it alone like any other woman who is in a polygamous relationship, otherwise daddy has always supported me and our son.”
In September, Legend Manqele, producer of a number of Mzansi’s successful reality TV shows, confirmed he was shooting “a season of something” with the Nkandla former first family.
At the time, Manqele said that through Conco, the country would see the real Zuma family and many questions would be answered.
Conco confirmed that the reality TV show was still on the cards.
“I’m currently working with him on my reality show. The show is definitely focused on me and my journey of life,” she said.