Jacob Zuma sold himself to South Africans as Everyman, that allegorical character that could so easily be you. With his lilting laugh and easy smile, he promised something different.
But power was never the stated objective. He could connect with the people, his supporters enthused. And he would do good by the people in a way previous administrations had failed. And so, the thousands of people in the ANC who had grown weary of the cult of personality around an “aloof” Thabo Mbeki were heartened. In Zuma, there was the hope of something different. He was everything that Mbeki could never be. Or so he promised.
What’s more, the Zuma years saw the most significant political shift since 1994. When the ANC lost Johannesburg and Tshwane in 2016, it was a blow to the party’s conception of itself as the beloved liberation movement. Zuma would reshuffle his Cabinet 11 times during his term in power. Many of those reshuffles were incomprehensible to all but Zuma. What was clear, however, was the way Zuma used these reshuffles to quell those he suspected of disloyalty.
But ultimately, despite the incremental gains, both the main opposition parties should be engaged in deep introspection as to what can only be seen as their failure to wrest power from the ruling party. On the DA’s side, this can in part be attributed to bungling its internecine battles, which have been laid bare in an untimely way.
He was shielded by the vast majority of NEC members, beholden to him through a network of patronage that has still not been dismantled, as evidenced in the relentless fight for control by the faction aligned to secretary general Ace Magashule. Last year, he told his allies in this faction that it was simply a “matter of five years, comrades”, before they regained control of the ANC.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jacob Zuma snubs ANC Gauteng poll driveFormer party leader said to prefer campaigning in KZN Dont you have PresJGZuma pictures? So you say if they lose Gauteng they'll blame Zuma not their candidates the way Sunday times loves uNxamalala Lol scared of clever blacks
Source: SundayTimesZA - 🏆 47. / 51 Read more »
Source: TheCitizen_News - 🏆 6. / 75 Read more »
Source: ewnupdates - 🏆 30. / 53 Read more »
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »
Source: TheCitizen_News - 🏆 6. / 75 Read more »
Source: City_Press - 🏆 7. / 72 Read more »
Past 25 years under the ANC have been devastating for the country, says Mmusi MaimaneTwenty-five years of ANC rule has been devastating for SA and its people and many of the party’s leaders at the time the country became a democracy in 1994 would have been appalled at what the ANC has become today, DA leader Mmusi Mamaine says. ...indeed. In all fairness 25 years is youth and experimenting in many things such as stealing money and groceries and showing violent capabilities. From 30 life becomes different with more future and sober mind. So is SA with a brighter future. Shut that thing you call a mouth and sit down!!
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »
Past 25 years under the ANC have been devastating for the country, says Mmusi Maimane“The ANC has gone from movement to monument. What used to be a movement for liberation has now become a monument to a bygone era – somewhere we merely reflect on the past,” the DA leader added.
Source: SowetanLIVE - 🏆 13. / 63 Read more »
Ramaphosa already had the power but failed to seize his best chance for real reformLast Sunday, Peter Bruce worried about an alleged attempt by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) to silence him, ('Politics the SA way: caricature an 'enemy' and attack it')
Source: SundayTimesZA - 🏆 47. / 51 Read more »
Source: City_Press - 🏆 7. / 72 Read more »
Source: eNCA - 🏆 49. / 51 Read more »