Former President Jacob Zuma had his military training in Soviet Union before joining the African National Congress department of intelligence as the head. He was once incorporated into the Communist Party.
The Sunday Times authored a three part series on Zuma’s life and rise to power in which it reported about Zuma’s dysfunctional family.
When Zuma was 5 years old his father died and his mother was left behind to fend for Zuma and his siblings. Zuma was never educated because he had to support his mother and the second wife of his father.
He taught himself how to read and write Zulu at home, nevertheless he speaks English, French, Russian, Xhosa, Portuguese and Swahili.
Zuma has had more than 750 corruption charges against him. Zuma served a 10 year sentence on Robben Island with the likes of Nelson Mandela and Mbeki.
He was arrested in the Transvaal for attempting to leave the country. The Sunday Times revealed that it was Mbeki who taught him how to use a gun.
Zuma is a self proclaimed polygamist who has been married for at least four times and has at least 18 children. One of his wives committed suicide in 2000.
