Dinner at the club with the Zulu Mr Everyman

22 April 2009

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As Jacob Zuma readies himself for the challenge of governing South Africa, Alec Russell recalls his encounters with the ANC leader: a politician who plays the part of the revivalist preacher and speaks the language of reconciliation but remains an unsettling enigma

Mr Zuma’s formative years, far more than those of Nelson Mandela or Thabo Mbeki, his two immediate predecessors as ANC leader, encompassed what the anti-apartheid struggle meant to most black South Africans. Unlike most ANC leaders who came from the middle-class black elite, he grew up in one of the least developed areas of the country and gained only the most rudimentary education before spending a decade as a political prisoner on Robben Island. Ebrahim Ebrahim, one of his old comrades, has told me how he was singing old Zulu songs to keep their spirits up in the police vans and then the boat that transferred them to captivity.

I first witnessed the Zuma phenomenon at close hand at his 65th birthday party, when he held court to hundreds of relations, businesspeople, admirers and friends. Resplendent in a black and gold Nehru suit, he took to the stage for a solo performance at the microphone and a twirl on the dance floor. For South Africans this is all rather refreshing after the hauteur and would-be intellectualism of his predecessor. Mr Mbeki is a behind-the-scenes man mocked for staying up late surfing the internet. Indeed, even as Zuma was performing at his party late that Saturday night, Mr Mbeki telephoned me and talked about the peace process in the Sudan, and other issues vexing the man who aspired — in vain — to be a great African statesman.

At rallies, when Jacob Zuma is not reading prepared speeches, which he does rather poorly, he has the appeal of a revivalist preacher. For his fellow Zulus, South Africa’s largest tribe, there is also the prospect at long last of seats at the high table of government — and some openly anticipate business contracts — after years in which the Xhosas, the tribe of Mbeki, Mandela and Oliver Tambo, have dominated the party. Yet Msholozi (Zuma’s clan name) does not just appeal to Zulus. ‘Lethu Mshini Wami’ (‘Bring me my machine-gun’), the old anti-apartheid hymn he sings lustily at rallies, sparks a rapturous response across the country. He is the ‘Messiah’, I was told by one ecstatic fan some 500 miles from the Zulu heartland.

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charlie

April 24th, 2009 1:13pm Report this comment

Thabo Mbeki was disastrous for South Africa. He was an autocratic racist president, who espoused the African renaissance. An admirable goal, which I support - but you can't have a renaissance without the proper skills, and without the understanding that institutions are more important than leaders (the two fault lines on which Africa falls).

Under Mbeki skin colour yet again became more important than ability, and his excluding white South Africans from the debate and his denial of the impact of crime caused up to three million whites to leave South Africa, a tragedy. Even worse, he changed the structure of government to one of centralised patronage. Local authorities ceased to be accountable to their constituents and only looked to Luthuli House. Corruption and incompetence soared.

We shall just have to see how Mr Zuma pans out. At the moment, anyone is better than Mbeki. But the most important thing of all, is for ordinary South Africans to learn that democracy works by removing votes from bad government: something that Africans still don't get.

Quackers

April 24th, 2009 2:18pm Report this comment

Mister "Lethu Mshini Wami" Zuma remains ( for the simplistic, 'take everything at face-value' members ) something of an enigma.

For the more realistic and African worldly-wise, he is a growing and dangerous threat to the stability of the entire continent.

Mister Zuma believes in only one thing - himself. Anyone in his immediate vicinity had better understand this PDQ or start making arrangements for the hereafter.

To postulate he could be another Reagan does Ronald a grave injustice. Reagan had not a single mailicious bone in his body.

I hope and pray that my misgivings prove wrong - for the sake of a great country.

"Almost" anything is better than the great 'intellectual' ditherings of Mbeki, but Zuma ??

Andreas

April 28th, 2009 5:59pm Report this comment

Is there any reason to think Zuma won't be another Wabenzi leading South Africa down the path their neighbours slightly to the north already have walked?

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