Curtain Call
By Ndibulele Sotondoshe
President Jacob Zuma must have been a good soldier… he sure knows how to dodge bullets. In 2005, he dodged one after he slept with an HIV-positive woman and claimed to ‘have taken a shower after having intercourse with the woman to reduce the risk of transmission’.
Signing the controversial e-tolls bill is his latest stunt. He went against widespread pleas to consider the negative impact the system will have on the citizens. Motorists have since been complaining about incorrect billing and some claimed to have never passed through the gantry tollgate.
Nkandlagate
In 2013, it emerged that taxpayers' money was used to upgrade Zuma’s homestead in Nkandla. The saga is informally known as 'Nkandlagate'. Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's report revealed that over R200 million of taxpayers’ money was used to upgrade the president’s private home. However, Zuma vehemently dismissed those claims and maintained that he paid for the upgrade from his own pocket. Contrary to this claim, Madonsela's report reflected that Zuma lied to parliament and recommended that he should be called upon to account for deceiving Parliament and the public.
As if the upgrade didn't have enough controversy, Zuma hired Minenhle Makhanya to oversee the project. Makhanya is no longer a registered architect and it's illegal to practise as an architect when you're not registered. Makhanya walked away with R18 million nonetheless. Moreover, Makhanya has neither security expertise nor clearance. The amount that was spent on Zuma’s private house would build approximately 5 000 RDP houses, providing shelters to more than 25 000 homeless citizens. Madonsela's full report on the upgrade was made public on the 19 March 2014, despite Ministers' attempts to prevent the report from being made public.
Kgalema Motlanthe announced he was quitting politics in March 2014. He lost to Zuma in the race to become the party’s president at the African National Congress’ (ANC) Mangaung conference in 2012. Motlanthe announced that he would not pursue any other position if he loses to Zuma and also refused to be nominated to the National Executive Committee (NEC). Only Heaven knows why he refused to board the same boat as Zuma… could it be sinking?
No-Confidence vote against Zuma
The Democratic Alliance (DA) and seven other political parties launched a no-confidence vote against Zuma as opposition leaders criticised him for the misuse of state resources. The DA’s Lindiwe Mazibuko told reporters that under Zuma's leadership, ‘the justice system has been politicised and weakened, corruption has spiralled out of control, unemployment continues to increase, the economy is weakening and the right of access to quality education has been violated’. However, the Constitutional Court dismissed the case that would have forced the vote in Parliament.
Zuma went on to spend R45 million on salary increases for Cabinet members, despite calls to curb spending. Ministers will now receive more than R100 000 extra and premieres will get about R94 000. more than before. Further criticism was aimed at Zuma as some labelled him a ‘reckless spender’ when he spent R12 500 on a birthday cake for his 70th birthday, enough to buy 1 388 loaves of bread.
Service delivery protest have been making headlines as people take to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the ANC government. In August 2012, 34 Lonmin mine workers were gunned down by police while protesting for a wage increases. The ‘Marikana massacre’, as it's commonly known, sparked a stir and left citizens questioning Zuma's cabinet, exposing a great deal of frustration in the Zuma-led government.
He was also implicated in the so-called ‘Guptagate’ scandal. A private jet owned by the Guptas landed illegally at Waterkloof Airbase in April 2013. Zuma denied having had any connection to the landing but Mazibuko fired a question at him: “Mr Speaker, a senior official in the SANDF stated under oath that a call was received from Mr Bruce Koloane informing her that the president wanted to know, and I quote, 'if everything is still on track for the flight'."
‘We won’t vote until Zuma steps down’
After Thabo Mbeki was removed from the presidency in 2008, his disgruntled loyalists left to form their own political parties. Fast-forward five years and Zuma has yet again caused other members to go seek greener pastures. High-profile lawyer Dali Mpofu, who represents Marikana mineworkers at the Farlam commission publicly announced that he was leaving the ANC after 33 years.
Some members of the public are still reluctant to vote, saying they will vote for the ANC only if Zuma's face is not on the ballot paper. They say that Zuma failed to provide for the needy and instead built himself a ‘shopping mall’ (referring to Nkandlagate) and left the poor poorer.
Zuma publicly stated that ‘the ANC will rule until Jesus comes back’ but that hope was dented when the crowd booed him at Nelson Mandela's funeral in December 2013. Zuma took to the stage to address the nation when he received a cold shoulder from the disgruntled crowd who cheered Mbeki instead. Many people have seemingly lost hope in the ANC.
Zuma’s son, Duduzane, killed a 31-year-old after his Porsche collided with a minibus taxi and faces charges of culpable homicide. A breathalyser test to determine the level of alcohol in his blood was not conducted and police claimed that it was not mandatory to test all motorists. Other motorists say police usually force them to have the test but Duduzane received preferential treatment… it may be because he was the son of the president.
ANC plans to recall Zuma after election?
Some recent reports speculate that the ANC plans to ditch Zuma after the elections, but experts’ views differ. Former Daily Dispatch political editor Eric Naki says that Zuma always survives and will definitely survive this crisis too. Some argue that, even if he survives, the ANC won't escape unharmed in the elections. Speculations are that ANC will lose votes to opposition parties because Zuma's controversies have tarnished the image of the organisation.
Political expert Dr Somadoda Fikeni says the ANC might not immediately recall Zuma, but his political life relies on the elections' outcome. He says the ANC is likely to recall him if they lose a province or metro to the opposition.
If these sordid sagas are anything to go by, no wonder Gwede Mantashe (the ANC’s Secretary General) appealed to a Free State congregation to ‘pray’ for the ANC.