The travails of former deputy president Jaco Zuma have gripped the nation for a very long time. Why won't Zuma go away?

"It's the wrong question," a political commentator said this week.

"The correct question is not why won't he go away, but why won't we let him go away?"

There are at least four replies that could explain Zuma's fascination for us.

The first comes from his supporters. They say that, because the former deputy president is clearly a man of the people and not a supporter of the conservative and effectively elitist policies of the present government coterie, he has been targeted by certain people, not excluding the person in the presidential suite. In short, it is, as always, all about politics in general, and in particular who will be our next president.

The aim of these forces, the Zuma group argues, is to make certain, by hook or by crook, that Zuma will never occupy that suite. And so Machiavellian are these anti-Zuma forces that they would not be surprised to learn that the rape complainant was a Trojan mare "sent" to Zuma's home. We are witnessing a Herculean struggle by an innocent man and hero of the people.

The second answer is given by people who say that, at best, Zuma is simply guilty because he tied himself to the wrong person (Shaik) and was sucked into a corrupt relationship with Shaik because he, Zuma, was always strapped for cash.

They say too that, being a male of a certain generation and type, he probably ignored the complainant's "no" and does not even know what all the fuss is about.

Consequently, such people say, he must stand trial for both rape and corruption and take his punishment, and that, at best, all his protestations and legal manoeuvrings are the struggles of the classic over-reacher, Icarus, who flew too near the sun. Man's fall from grace is at the root of our culture and we are fascinated by such falls. There, but for the grace of God, go you or I.

A more balanced response, the third one, is of the sort given by the judge president in his recusal judgment on Monday. Judge Ngoepe pointed out that Zuma had held the second-highest office in the land, still held high office in the ruling party, and was therefore an important person in and for this country. Consequently, Zuma was to be treated seriously and no pre-judgment of any sort should be made.

A fourth view holds that Zuma is simply a man of cynical expediency, a clear populist and power-monger. Proponents of this view argue that Zuma's story and actions bear a frightening similarity to those of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's: doing precisely what he's wanted to do, notwithstanding the law; always flirting with violence (by allowing his supporters to do what they do); enormously populist in terms of his appeal to the marginalised of society, and; being apparently untouchable.

Perhaps the reasons why he has his hook in us are a combination of all of the above, with yet another ingredient.

We have what is probably one of the most civilised constitutions and bill of rights in the world and we like to believe that we have in a very short time become one of the most civilised societies. And we are mostly right.

But there is a great deal going on under the surface about which we would prefer not be reminded; there is a great deal to which we aspire that we do not always reach. What the example of Zuma does is to delve under our facade.

We like to say we are civilised. We do not shoot each other if we disagree. We hold elections. But then Zuma calls for his machine gun.

We like to say we are ruled by thoughtful people who care about all of us. Then Zuma's supporters hit the streets and their message is that does not matter if he got a bit of money here or there, if he has love children, or expects a woman to do what she was put on earth to do.

We like to say that we are not racists any more; then Zuma's supporters come out wearing T-shirts saying "100 percent Zulu boy".

We like to say that we are moving toward a greater respect for women then Zuma comes to court on a rape charge, his supporters rail against the women who have come out in support of the complainant, and his supporters abuse a member of the crowd whom they mistake for the complainant.

In short, Zuma is continually setting our national agenda on its head, continually showing us our own ugly visages. No wonder we can't let him go.

With acknowledgement to the Sunday Argus.