President Jacob Zuma yesterday said he “deeply regretted” the pain he caused his family, the ANC and South Africans, after revelations that he fathered a child out of wedlock.

“I deeply regret the pain that I have caused to my family, the ANC, the (tripartite) alliance and South Africans in general,” Zuma said.

“The matter, though private, has been a subject of much public discussion and debate. It has put a lot of pressure on my family and my organisation.”

“I reaffirm my commitment and that of my movement to the importance of the family as an institution. I recognise the responsibility of leaders to uphold and promote these values at all times,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Saturday Star reported that ANC leaders approached Zuma with a “sex pact” shortly after his election as party president at Polokwane in 2007, and that he was warned not to embarrass the ANC with sexual revelations similar to his 2006 rape trial.

The paper also reported that a 30-year-old Zimbabwean man, Dudzai Nyamuramba, claimed to be another child of Zuma. – Sapa