Gugulethu Zuma-Ncube
Birth date10 October 1985 (age 41)
Birth placeJohannesburg, South Africa
Active2007–present
MediumTelevision
GenreDrama · Comedy
SpouseWesley Ncube (m. 2008)
SubjectSouth African culture
Parents

Gugulethu Zuma-Ncube (born 10 October 1985) is a South African producer, actress and daughter of former President Jacob Zuma and African National Congress (ANC) politician Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and daughter-in-law to Zimbabwean Movement for Democratic Change Alliance politician Professor Welshman Ncube.[1][2]

Early life

Zuma-Ncube was born in 1985. In 2007, she graduated from AFDA with a Live Performance degree. Sindiswa, a graduation film in which she played a role, was nominated for the Student Academy Awards (Student Oscars) in Hollywood.[1] She met her future husband, Wesley Ncube, while she was studying in Cape Town, and married him at the end of 2008.[3]

Career

Gugulethu has appeared in several television shows, including Interrogation Room, SABC3's Isidingo,[4] and e.tv's Rhythm City.[5][6]

It's for Life

Through Nyenyedzi Productions, which she co-owns with her sisters Nokuthula Nomaqhawe and Thuthukile Zuma, she co-produced and acted in Mzansi Magic's It’s for Life, a 2011 sitcom about four 20-somethings who find a squatter in their house.[4][7] Their father promoted the series through his official presidential Twitter account, for which he received criticism.[8][9]

Uzalo

Zuma-Ncube also co-owns Stained Glass Productions with Kobedi "Pepsi" Pokane, through which they co-produced Uzalo for the SABC1 channel.[10] It aired five days per week, Monday to Friday, and was the second-most popular television show in South Africa, behind Mzansi Magic's Isibaya telenovella, with which it was intended to compete.[11]

In 2015 and 2016, various national newspapers alleged that Zuma-Ncube benefitted unduly from nepotism through contracts of R167 million from the SABC and R8 million from the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality for Uzalo.[12][13]

The first season of Uzalo, which aired in 2015, cost R50 million,[11] and was filmed and produced in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal,[10] where it received R8 million from the ANC-led local municipal government.[6] The Democratic Alliance accused the local municipality of patronage for funding the private production, noting that there would be no government oversight of the spending and that the money could have helped less established entertainment businesses instead.[14][15]

The TV series was caught in controversy when then-SABC CEO Hlaudi Motsoeneng intervened in a decision not to renew the series, deciding instead to commission another three seasons for around R167 million, an amount with which "the SABC could produce about 20 programmes".[16] Stained Glass Productions were accused of political interference with the procurement processes of the SABC, which the co-producers denied, claiming that they "did everything by the book" and that they received no "special treatment".[17][18][19]

Politics

In 2011, she volunteered at Luthuli House, the ANC's headquarters, with her sister Thuthukile.[4]

Personal life

Gugulethu Zuma-Ncube, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma with politician ANC former wife Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, is married to mathematician Wesley Ncube, son of Zimbabwean politician Prof Welshman Ncube.[20] They were married on 20 December 2008 in Pretoria, South Africa.[20]

References

  1. ^ "So who are Zuma's 22 children?". Parent. 2016-11-07. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  2. ^ Peta, Basildon (2008-12-20). "Zuma's daughter marries into Zimbabwe politics". The Independent. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  3. ^ Smook, Ella (2008-12-18). "Zuma, Ncube wedding goes ahead". IOL. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  4. ^ "Zuma's daughters spark job controversy". The Star. 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  5. ^ Thangevelo, Debashine (2014-03-17). "Soap star Zuma-Ncube finds her rhythm". IOL. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  6. ^ Bambalele, Patience (2015-02-07). "'Uzalo' hope for Zuma". The Sowetan. Archived from the original on 2015-02-10. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  7. ^ Pauw, Jacques & van der Merwe, Jeanne (2014-07-27). "Jacob Zuma's family empire". City Press. Archived from the original on 1 August 2014. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  8. ^ "When President Zuma endorsed his daughter's TV show". Daily Dispatch. 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  9. ^ Smith, David (2014-07-29). "Jacob Zuma accused of nepotism after giving daughter ministry position". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  10. ^ Roets, Adriaan (2015-01-18). "When blood is forever". The Citizen. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  11. ^ Blignaut, Charl & Sithole, Siyabonga (2015-01-19). "Zuma's daughter caught up in TV show drama". Channel. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  12. ^ "Did ANC lose votes because of Uzalo? Zuma's daughter explains — The Citizen". 9 November 2016.
  13. ^ "Funding for Zuma's daughter's soapie debated | News24"
  14. ^ "DA condemns KZN's R5 Million cash injection into Uzalo". South African Broadcasting Corporation. 2015-06-24. Retrieved 2017-04-29. [dead link]
  15. ^ Khoza, Amanda (2015-06-23). "President Zuma's daughter gets R5m subsidy for SABC Durban soapie - Uzalo". BizNews. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  16. ^ wa Afrika, Mzilikazi (2016-07-10). "Hlaudi's R167m Zuma TV deal". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 2016-07-10. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  17. ^ "Uzalo producers dispute R167 million deal: We are getting R14,000 a minute". Times LIVE. 2016-07-11. Archived from the original on 2018-05-26. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  18. ^ "Uzalo creators: 'We did everything by the book' on Hlaudi intervention". 702. 2016-07-11. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  19. ^ Madibogo, Julia (2016-07-11). "President Zuma's daughter shares her side of the Uzalo story". Times LIVE. Archived from the original on 2016-07-11. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
  20. ^ "Zuma's daughter marries into Zimbabwe politics | The Independent". Independent.co.uk. 20 December 2008.