Publication: Cape Argus Issued: Date: 2006-08-17 Reporter: Max du Preez Reporter:

It's Foolish to Judge Jacob Zuma from Hysteria and One Indiscretion

 

Publication 

Cape Argus

Date

2006-08-17

Reporter

Max du Preez

Web Link

www.capeargus.co.za

 

We should focus more on the achievements of our leaders, not just prejudices.

Why is it that so many South Africans of all population groups think it would be a complete catastrophe if Jacob Zuma became president? Because of a sexual indiscretion? Because of one or two slips of the tongue? Because he doesn't have a university degree? Because he has more than one wife?

What nonsense. Since when did we have such high expectations of a politician? Every president since PW Botha has had at least one sexual indiscretion that we know of. Every person in power since Jan van Riebeeck has said something really stupid at least once - some current ones do it on once a month.

We also know very well by now that a university education doesn't mean someone is a good politician or even intelligent. And only ignorant city snobs and bigots frown upon someone who is still in touch with his cultural heritage.

There seems to be a consensus forming among those who call themselves political observers: if the state failed to prove beyond doubt that Zuma asked for and received bribes in return for political influence regarding the arms deal, nothing will stop him from becoming SA's next president.

As things stand now, the state's case seems to be far from water tight. If the court doesn't find Zuma guilty of corruption *1, the majority of citizens will believe he was right that there was a conspiracy against him.

I can see it happen: on the day it becomes clear Zuma is indeed going to be our next head of state, our currency will weaken, the business confidence index will tumble, and learned commentators will pronounce on how bad this would be for our international prestige and for foreign investment. Pure silliness.

Jacob Zuma is not my personal choice for president. But I think we should investigate the present hysteria among sections of the ruling party, the business sector and the minority groups that Zuma as president would mean the end of good governance and wise leadership.

We should ask ourselves whether what we know of the man today necessarily means he would be a bad president, or whether we are simply buying into the anti-Zuma camp's propaganda.

Zuma is 64 years old and, as we know from evidence led at his recent trial, in exceedingly good health. His father died when he was very young and his mother became a domestic worker in Durban. He had to find odd jobs around the suburbs to survive, which means he could not afford to go to school. He joined the ANC as a teenager and its guerrilla army when he was only 20. He was in jail on Robben Island between the ages of 21 and 31 and left the country in 1975. Within two years he was elected to the ANC's National Executive Council and became its chief of intelligence a few years before the unbanning in 1990. Not bad for an uneducated country boy.

But he achieved most after 1990. In my book, Zuma deserves more credit than any other individual for helping to end the bloody conflict in KwaZulu-Natal in the years after 1990. That was a prerequisite for a successful election in 1994.

During the same period, Zuma played a decisive role in neutralising the right wing and bringing General Constand Viljoen and his supporters, hell-bent on war at the time, into mainstream politics. After 1994 Zuma was a key figure in bringing peace to Burundi. Not bad for an uneducated country boy.

We don't know what kind of president Zuma will be. FW de Klerk was known as a conservative ethnic nationalist before 1989, and yet he took the bold steps that led to our democracy. Thabo Mbeki was known as a charming, engaging, confident leader before 1999, and yet he became an aloof, insecure president.

But what we do know, is that Zuma's instincts are to bring peace and stability and to stay close to the ordinary people. There is a good chance that he will have a much greater understanding of the alienation of the minority groups than the Mbeki administration.

He will work hard to heal the rifts in the ANC and the tripartite alliance. It is almost a certainty that he will try to bring government closer to the people and so fix one of the dangerous fault lines in our present situation.

Is Zuma going to be beholden to the Communist Party and Cosatu if he does become president? Probably. But that need not be a bad thing. Our macro economic policy has pleased the IMF and the World Bank, but it has also led to an even more severe chasm between rich and poor. If Zuma could gently reform South Africa into a true social democracy, our children and grandchildren will remember him fondly.

Perhaps coming from the "left" and being "a representative of the people" will make it possible for Zuma to take the unpopular steps needed to address some of our serious problems the present administration is reluctant to do.

With acknowledgement to Max du Preez and Cape Argus.


*1       It is logically impossible that Zuma will be found not guilty when his co-conspirator, facilitator, benefactor and liar, Schabir  Shaikh, has already been found guilty on the same set of facts with which he will be confronted in answering Charge 1 and Charge 2.