Zuma’s ex spices up housewives reality show
There may be no tea meetings or undying support from military veterans, but Jacob Zuma’s former fiancée, Nonkanyiso Conco, has set tongues wagging.
She is one of six participants in the TV reality show The Real Housewives of Durban — and she has got the other women hot under their designer collars.
Conco — also known as LaConco — is joined on the show by Sorisha Naidoo, wife of businessman Vivian Reddy; Kgomotso Ndungane, married to former Springbok wing Odwa Ndungane; Ayanda Ncwane, widow of gospel legend Sfiso Ncwane; AnneTonni Lodick Mthembu, wife of events entrepreneur Kgolo “Daguru” Mthembu; and Durban business person Nonku Williams.
Conco, who is in her 20s, hit headlines in 2018 when she became engaged to Zuma. She had a son with him but reports soon emerged that the relationship had ended.
She has said the show is a platform to display her true self. She said on a recent episode she had met someone who paid lobolo for her, then took his time and eventually gave her a ring.
“The biggest misconception the world and the nation has had is to assume my age, and look at his age, and then conclude I’m here for the fame and the money,” she said on the show.
Conco, who is friends with Ncwane, said “being engaged/married to a prominent figure doesn’t mean [living] under his shadow”, and she was young and could make her own money.
Last week Conco caused a stir when she attended the launch of Ndungane’s line of skin-care products and met her fellow contestants for the first time.
Asked who her husband was, she responded: “My name is Nonkanyiso Conco … just Google. You know exactly who I am, but you want to be sassy and juicy about me.” She said 900 publications had written about her.
When the other participants began quizzing her, asking “What number wife are you?”, she immediately announced she was “shutting this topic down”.
Conco, who has a skin-care range of her own, was scornful of the way some of the contestants dress. “My style is elegant and subtle,” she said. “I don’t want to look like a
Christmas tree. I prefer to smell like money.”
Asked who was the most controversial personality on the show, Naidoo told the Sunday Times this week: “I want to say LaConco, but it changes from moment to moment.”
When Conco met Naidoo for the first time, Naidoo asked why she hadn’t seen her on the social circuit given her relationship status. Ncwane chipped in that Conco was “under the radar”.
Conco then suggested Naidoo was in a “polygamous” relationship with Reddy, but Naidoo denied this.
However, the two put the awkwardness behind them and on Friday, Naidoo was one of four guests that Conco invited to an umemulo — coming-of-age — event in KwaMaphumulo, north of Durban.
“I was very happy to see Sorisha and that she was appropriately dressed,” said Conco.
Conco was also set to feature in a 13-part reality series about Nkandla, shot by Legend Manqele. But the series wasn’t aired.
Ndungane said she believed Conco would make a “well-seasoned future spokesperson” and could do well in politics or in the arts and culture sphere.