Jacob Zuma and his Jewish grandson

NICOLA MILTZ

The adorable, two-year-old toddler is the son of Duduzane Zuma, the President’s highflying, playboy son who is currently at the centre of a flurry of leaked Gupta e-mails which link him and the nefarious Gupta family to state capture.

In May 2015, while the millionaire Duduzane was walking down the aisle at his outlandishly lavish wedding – to another woman – this 35-year-old Jewish woman was about to give birth to his son.

Duduzane, also 35, known for his charm and roving eye, became the father to the child just two weeks after tying the knot with Shanice Stork. The wedding which cost in the hundreds of thousands was paid for in major part by the Gupta family.

The boy’s mom, whose identity is known to the Jewish Report, is a beautiful brunette and has been in the music industry for several years. The Jewish Report has chosen not to name her in the interests of protecting the toddler’s identity.

Following weekend newspaper reports, she has gone to ground in a bid to stay out of the limelight. According to a close relative she has been “bombarded” and wishes to be left alone to bring up her child.

This week she deleted her Facebook profile which only a few days ago showed her with her baby boy facing away from the camera and read: “Proud mommy to the cutest kid in the world”. She has deleted any Internet photographs of herself as a singer and all references to her life now. Her sister and the child’s bobba have also deleted images and references to the small child.

In the trail of invoices that were sent to Duduzane’s lawyers that formed part of her proof of the child’s expenses, Jewish Report pieced together that this much-loved little boy was born at the Netcare Linkwood Hospital in Linksfield. He and his mom frequent the usual shops in the north-eastern suburbs, including the Fairmount Pick n Pay and Norwood Hypermarket, the Spar in Savoy and Balfour Park Shopping Centre. She goes to Shula’s Bakery, Food Lover’s Market and Park Meadows Baby City.

According to leaked e-mails, it has been suggested that while Duduzane was enjoying a life of complete luxury going on first class business trips abroad, and attending cocktail parties, the mother of his son was trying desperately to get money for basics like nappies and formula from him.

ama-Bhungane and Scorpio, who this week described Duduzane as “kept and captured”, said that as soon as the boy’s mother demanded maintenance from him, he turned to his close family friends – the Guptas – for legal help and assistance.

The Gupta’s lawyer, Gert van der Merwe, was apparently instrumental in drawing up the final R3,5-million maintenance agreement – but this was after months of protracted legal wrangling.  

Duduzane’s lawyers and her maintenance lawyers knit-picked over things like till slips, credit card bills and start-up costs for the child.

According to Sunday newspapers, Van der Merwe advised Zuma to not rush into anything and cautioned him not to “go in blindly” when it came to final payments. He suggested the maintenance money be paid into a trust.

In a number of legal e-mails in the possession of Jewish Report, Duduzane’s lawyer called her initial demand for R30 000 a month until the final settlement “absurd” and said it “cannot be accepted”. 

She had initially requested R39 353,65 to cover pregnancy and post-birth expenses. And his lawyers said Duduzane was prepared to pay R17 000 upfront. These costs included the baby boy’s circumcision, top of the range pram, night nurse and antenatal classes.

In an e-mail to Duduzane, sent in September 2015, his lawyer proposed that the “nanny must be included in monthly maintenance claims… and, if she has done any other work, such as household help, or will be doing so, this must be stated, as your client will then bear a portion of her cost for herself too,” the lawyer wrote.

The mother also attached the fees of a few private schools, including King David Schools, or Crawford for Duduzane to pay as part of his son’s monthly allowance.

According to other media reports, the mom was left with little if any money from the multimillionaire during the protracted negotiations. She allegedly e-mailed him several times, asking for money for nappies and formula. “Luckily I’m breastfeeding for now,” one e-mail from her revealed.

The Sunday Times maintained that on October 8, 2015, Duduzane, wrote to his lawyer: “I have the sheriff of the court at my gate with a maintenance subpoena set for the 23rd of October. Should I accept or should I divert him to come to you.”

Apparently, he appeared in court and that is when a settlement was drafted where a one-off lump-sum payment would be made, which the mother could invest to look after their child.

The confidential agreement includes a provision for Duduzane to have limited access to his son.

Duduzane is the twin brother of sister Duduzile, and son of Zuma’s third wife, Kate Mantsho, who committed suicide in 2000 when he was 18. It is not known whether President Zuma has spent any time with his grandson.

The SA Jewish Report made numerous attempts to contact the mom and shortly before going to print, the newspaper received a letter from her lawyer saying his client did not wish to comment or be interviewed in the best interests of her and her child.

*  We extend our thanks to City Press for their assistance.