"I deeply regretthe pain that I have caused to my family, the ANC, the Alliance and South Africans in general," President Jacob Zuma said in a statement Saturday. "The matter, though private, has ... put a lot of pressure on my family and my organization, the African National Congress."
Zuma is a member ofthe Zulu culture, which practicespolygamy. He has three wives and 19 children, according to his Web site.
polygamy=【名】複婚(制)、一夫多妻◆【反】monogamy
Last week, the president confirmed that he had a relationship with a woman whogave birth tohis child.
"Ireiteratethat Itook responsibility for my actionstowards the family concerned and the child," he said.
Polygamy is legal in South Africa,butremains a contentious subject. Zuma has faced criticism from opponents who say the practice is out of step with modern times and unfair to women.
He vowed to focus on acommitmentto fight HIV/AIDS in the country, which has one of the highest rates in the world.