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South Africa has lent a number of its talents to the global music industry with artists like Zakes Bantwini who is an award-winning singer and producer making the nation proud. His wife, Nandi Mngoma, popularly known as Nandi Madida, is equally a big shot in the entertainment industry, particularly with the work she did on Disney’s Lion King. In their careers, they have both experienced tremendous success, putting them in the ranks of the bigger stars of the country.
As a result of this, Zakes and Nandi are very visible in the public space and this has made them subject to public scrutiny. The couple who have been married for more than four years and been together for over seven years is admired by many who respect their relationship. However, due to certain issues, people believe that the two are divorced. But are they?
Are Zakes Bantwini and Nandi Mngoma Still Married?
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For what it’s worth, these two seem to be doing quite well as a couple but something came up recently to suggest their union might be on shaky grounds. Naturally, judging by the world they live and work in, the fear that their fans expressed was expected. As one of the most loved couples in the country, their marriage dissolving would have been yet another addition to the long list of celebrities unable to have successful long-term relationships.
What actually happened was that Bantwini requested to dissolve he and Nandi’s union, filing for an annulment of their marriage under the community of property marriage contract. His wife agreed to the suit and was not in any dispute with Bantwini over his actions. She further signed an affidavit that stated that she is in support of dissolving the current state of their marriage under the law.
The couple revealed that they had made a mistake with the contract when they got married, a mistake that the marriage officer had not taken heed to point out.
As a result of this, a lot of questions have been asked in regards to whether or not the couple is still together.
Why Fans Think Zakes and Nandi Are Divorced
As earlier mentioned, Zakes Bantwini and Nandi Mnogma are one of the power couples in the South African entertainment industry. They are both highly successful entertainers who have made a name and huge fortune for themselves. Therefore, the duo has attracted a lot of public attention to their marriage that has lasted for about four years. While most of the time they have been showered with lots of love from their fans, recently, they have seen themselves become the butt of wide speculations as their union was presumed to be heading for the rocks.
In 2020, the duo revealed that there was something wrong with the contract that their marriage was based on, and to fix the issue, they would have to annul their marriage. But this does not signify a divorce; the two would only annul under the law, but will still remain married. This is what triggered the rumor that the two were getting divorced.
There are two types of marriage contracts – the “in community of property” and “out of community of property”. It happened that the two exchanged vows under the former contract and wanted to move to the latter. This irregularity was discovered when Zakes Bantwini was going through his personal finances. To avoid any issues popping up in the future, they decided to fix things the right way.
The couple were supposed to sign an antenuptial contract and they would have had to visit a notary who would assist, as well as advise them on the right thing to do. Failure to sign an antenuptial contract means that the marriage is in a community of property by default.
The technicality of the situation most likely made it difficult for people to understand that the couple, who are still very much in love with each other, have not gotten divorced and do not plan on doing that. What is happening is simply a contract upgrade.
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They are obviously still smitten with each other and celebrating their wedding anniversary with so much admiration for the life they have built together.
Their Marriage Wouldn’t Have Been If Nandi Had Stuck To Her Reservations
It may seem like Nandi Madida and Zakes Bantwini are a match made in heaven but their love story is one of those that almost didn’t happen. Before Nandi met Zakes, she had made the decision to avoid a relationship with men who worked in entertainment. Of course, she had her reasons for having such reservations in her love life. She was of the opinion that if she chose to date a man who worked in the industry, he would have been an insecure person and she did not want that.
The two met at a SAMA nomination party where Bantwini had told Nandi that he thought she was beautiful. She responded by praising his musical genius. The singer proceeded to ask for a number he could use to reach her but she hesitated before she gave it to him and only did so at the urging of a friend. Another thing that motivated her to share contacts with Zakes is her interest in music and the urge to further her career in music, as she had always wanted to work with him.
They Married in 2016 and Have Welcomed Two Kids
The two took a while before they started dating and only started off by being friends. According to Nandi, Bantwini’s emergence in her life was timely for not just her life but also her career. He apparently helped her to grow her craft and explore the industry further.
The two got married in June 2016 and have been in love with each other ever since. They currently have two kids; a son and a daughter who rock their world. Meanwhile, the two kids are not the only offsprings of the Bang Bang Bang singer.
Zakes Bantwini Fathered a Child At Age 14
According to a radio interview Zakes had, the singer was around the age of 13 when he got someone pregnant. Thus, he became a father by the time he was fourteen years of age.
Aside from his first child who is already in his mid-20s, Zakes has two more children from past relations. This brings the total number of the singer’s offsprings to 5.