Zuma's snub for Mandela tribute: South African president misses Westminster Abbey service to attend lavish wedding of Mugabe's daughter

• First ever Abbey service for a foreigner had already been delayed for Zuma
• But he spent the weekend at £3m wedding of Bona Mugabe in Harare
• South Africans vented fury at apparent snub to former colonial power

South African President Jacob Zuma has pulled out of today’s memorial service for Nelson Mandela at Westminster Abbey to attend the lavish wedding of Robert Mugabe’s daughter.
The Abbey service, thought to be the first for a foreigner, had already been rescheduled to accommodate Mr Zuma.
However, Mr Zuma instead spent the weekend in Zimbabwe at the £3million wedding of Bona Mugabe. His spokesman denied it was a snub to Mandela.

Allies: South Africa's Jacob Zuma (left) and Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe pictured together in 2003

Prince Harry, representing the Queen, and Prime Minister David Cameron will be among 3,000 at the memorial for Mr Mandela, who died in December aged 95.
The date of the service was originally planned for February 11, the anniversary of his release from prison in 1990, but was changed so Mr Zuma, who was preparing for his annual State of the Nation address on that date, could attend.

Honour: The service today at Westminster Abbey will be the first for a foreigner

South Africa’s controversial 71-year-old leader informed memorial organisers last week that he would now be too busy to join the unique event and would send his deputy and two ministers in his place.  
Instead, Mr Zuma spent the weekend at the extravagant wedding of Bona Mugabe, daughter of President Mugabe, 90, who hosted 4,000 guests at his large estate in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, for a two-day celebration.
After Mr Zuma announced he would not be attending in person, Buckingham Palace informed the Abbey that Prince Harry would be attending on behalf of the Queen.
A spokesman for the Abbey confirmed that Mr Zuma had sent his apologies, and admitted they were 'disappointed'.
'Clearly we were expecting President Zuma and we were disappointed that he can’t come but we understand that schedules change,' Abbey spokesman Duncan Jeffrey said. 
Back home, Mr Zuma’s decision to spend the weekend with the Mugabes instead of paying tribute to Mr Mandela in London was being interpreted as a deliberate snub to the former colonial power.
Both white and black South Africans used Twitter to express their anger at their leader’s decision to prioritise the Mugabe wedding over an historic service in honour of Mr Mandela. 
At the main South African memorial in the days after Mr Mandela’s death, which was attended by current and former world leaders, Mr Zuma looked visibly rattled as he was booed loudly and repeatedly by crowds at the stadium in Soweto.

Tensions: Many South Africans are angry at the current government when compared with Mandela's ideals

Mac Maharaj, Mr Zuma’s official spokesman, said Mr Zuma was too busy with domestic issues to attend the London event, but denied it could be interpreted as a snub.
'He has sent the second-highest office [his Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe] and two ministers,' he said.
'I have seen some articles saying this is a snub. This is not a snub – people are wrong.'
Mr Zuma and the ruling ANC will on May 7 run in what are widely expected to be the most hotly-contested parliamentary and provincial elections the former liberation movement since Mr Mandela led it to power in 1994. 
A series of corruption scandals have seen Mr Zuma’s personal popularity plummet and many now believe the ANC could lose its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time.