The African JZ ...
Jacob Zuma .... the South African JZ .... our home grown black-power superstar ....
A man subject to such headlines as ….
…… and yet also "Zuma - the next president of
Now - there's no denying that this man fought for his country .... Zuma was integral to the struggle against apartheid ...... spending hard years in prison and in exile in Mozambique and Zambia .... (unlike the current president Thabo Mbeki who spent much of that time in the UK) .... and he has risen the ranks to become without doubt the most prominent Zulu in the country (very important given tribalism still reigns strong here in SA) ....
NB an aside here ... apparently the Zulus became known as one of the most powerful warrior tribes in Africa ... because they worked out that if you stabbed with a short spear - you got to kill more people than if you launched it at someone no matter how accurate you were .... amazing what makes peoples great ....)
But Zuma like may heroes of the struggle is virtually uneducated (i mean even dubya went to university) …. he proudly touts himself as "100% Zulu Boy" .... and in a country wracked by crime .... his trademark song is “Awuleth' umshini wami” which means "Bring me my machine gun" .....
And then last year .... he was dismissed on charges of corruption … and faced trial for raping an HIV positive woman the same age as his daughter …. famously declaring that he took a shower after sex to protect himself ….. and that a woman was asking for it by crossing their legs or wearing a kang (sarong-skirt) before him .....
His trial had to be delayed because it turned out that he had fathered the judge’s nephew (whilst having 3 wives of his own) …. ..
Just the man to step into shoes once worn by Nelson Mandela ….
And yet incredibly his popularity amongst average South Africans and especially the Zulus remains undimmed ..... and even bolstered by the fact that the SA government couldn’t close a corruption case against him (despite the judge actually admitting that there was certainly corruption afoot) ....
his supporters compare him to Clinton (both apparently are - or would be - the first "real" black president of their nations .... and both accused by a woman) .... records of his theme song are flying off the shelves .... and the trade unions and workers parties have thrown their support firm behind him ..... (For my yankee readers - its as though Foley and Haastert were suddenly being considered the dream-ticket .... for the brits ... i know you get this without the patronising explanation ....)
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been openly critical about him ... encouraging him to step down "for the good of the country" (Zuma has resonded by suggesting that Tutu may be getting Alzheimers)…. already the inter-tribal street fights have started (Zulus vs Xhosa etc) .... and many whites in this country are scared enough to already be making plans to leave should he be elected next year ….
And now his latest gaffe …. despite the fact that the constitution here is based on the UN Charter for Human Rights …. and hence homosexuality is both legal and respected (one of the only African nations to be so progressive) …. Zuma stated that the Gays were "a disgrace to the nation and to God" and "When I was growing up an ungquingili (a homosexual) would not have stood in front of me. I would knock him out."
Amandla the New Rainbow Nation ....
PS Sorry - couldn't resist this one ...
No comments:
Post a Comment