PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
South Africa: Zuma battered, bruised after fresh setbacks (News analysis By Craig Urquhart, PANA Correspondent)
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – South African President Jacob Zuma has experienced one of the most turbulent weeks in his long political career, as the former Robben Island prisoner who has weathered numerous scandals, including a rape trial and an ongoing corruption case, faces the biggest hurdle of his political career over exorbitant upgrades to his private residence.
What makes the so-called Nkandla-gate saga different is that it has hit a nerve with ordinary taxpayers who have had to foot the US$20 million bill for Zuma’s palatial rural home. Despite Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s damning 2014 report into the upgrades, Zuma refused to budge on the matter, drawing Madonsela and her office into disrepute.
Opposition political parties persisted with the matter and the case was heard in the Constitutional Court – the highest court in the land – this week. On the eve of the proceedings, Zuma suddenly backed down, saying he was prepared to co-operate. However, it was too little, too late and for several hours on Tuesday, Zuma’s lawyers were forced to concede that the Public Protector’s report was binding. At the same time, Zuma’s lawyer Jeremy Gauntlett urged the justices to think carefully about making a ruling which could lead to the impeachment of Zuma. “This is a delicate time in a dangerous year,” he said.
Outside the court, thousands of protestors called for Zuma’s impeachment. Political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi described the proceedings as humiliating and embarrassing for the President and his party.
Tensions remained sky-high on Thursday when Zuma attempted to deliver his State of the Nation address. He was repeatedly heckled and Mosiuoa Lekota, the leader of the opposition COPE party, humiliated Zuma when he rose on a point of order and accused the president of having lost all honour and of betraying the Constitution. After walking out of the proceedings, Lekota justified his actions saying: “How could we respect a president who has no respect whatsoever for the house? We could not listen to him because he had misled the honourable house. We cannot give him respect that he does not deserve.”
Soon afterwards, MPs from the Economic Freedom Fighters were also evicted after repeatedly insulting Zuma. The party’s caucus left the house chanting “Zupta must fall,” in reference to Zuma’s close ties with the controversial Gupta family, which has made headlines with their business dealings with the president.
On Friday, Zuma slammed his detractors, saying “they are showing how useless they are” and “they just don't understand democracy, how it works." Zuma said if opposition politicians believed in democracy they should know better how to deal with the government when it errs.
"If the party or the president commits a mistake, there is a process how you deal with that," he added. But the reality is that Zuma is becoming increasingly isolated by his own party and there is a growing consensus that he could be recalled or impeached.
Political analyst Max Du Preez notes that apart from the Constitutional Court ruling which is expected to be handed down in the next few days, Zuma also faces a fresh court battle by opposition parties who are seeking to reinstate charges of corruption against him. “Every indication is that if 2015 was Zuma’s annus horribilis, 2016 is going to be his annus maximus horribilis,” Du Preez said.
It remains to be see whether Zuma will survive another year as the head of the ruling party, but most would agree that his country is battered and bruised and sullied in the eyes of the international community.
-0- PANA CU/VAO 12Feb2016
What makes the so-called Nkandla-gate saga different is that it has hit a nerve with ordinary taxpayers who have had to foot the US$20 million bill for Zuma’s palatial rural home. Despite Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s damning 2014 report into the upgrades, Zuma refused to budge on the matter, drawing Madonsela and her office into disrepute.
Opposition political parties persisted with the matter and the case was heard in the Constitutional Court – the highest court in the land – this week. On the eve of the proceedings, Zuma suddenly backed down, saying he was prepared to co-operate. However, it was too little, too late and for several hours on Tuesday, Zuma’s lawyers were forced to concede that the Public Protector’s report was binding. At the same time, Zuma’s lawyer Jeremy Gauntlett urged the justices to think carefully about making a ruling which could lead to the impeachment of Zuma. “This is a delicate time in a dangerous year,” he said.
Outside the court, thousands of protestors called for Zuma’s impeachment. Political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi described the proceedings as humiliating and embarrassing for the President and his party.
Tensions remained sky-high on Thursday when Zuma attempted to deliver his State of the Nation address. He was repeatedly heckled and Mosiuoa Lekota, the leader of the opposition COPE party, humiliated Zuma when he rose on a point of order and accused the president of having lost all honour and of betraying the Constitution. After walking out of the proceedings, Lekota justified his actions saying: “How could we respect a president who has no respect whatsoever for the house? We could not listen to him because he had misled the honourable house. We cannot give him respect that he does not deserve.”
Soon afterwards, MPs from the Economic Freedom Fighters were also evicted after repeatedly insulting Zuma. The party’s caucus left the house chanting “Zupta must fall,” in reference to Zuma’s close ties with the controversial Gupta family, which has made headlines with their business dealings with the president.
On Friday, Zuma slammed his detractors, saying “they are showing how useless they are” and “they just don't understand democracy, how it works." Zuma said if opposition politicians believed in democracy they should know better how to deal with the government when it errs.
"If the party or the president commits a mistake, there is a process how you deal with that," he added. But the reality is that Zuma is becoming increasingly isolated by his own party and there is a growing consensus that he could be recalled or impeached.
Political analyst Max Du Preez notes that apart from the Constitutional Court ruling which is expected to be handed down in the next few days, Zuma also faces a fresh court battle by opposition parties who are seeking to reinstate charges of corruption against him. “Every indication is that if 2015 was Zuma’s annus horribilis, 2016 is going to be his annus maximus horribilis,” Du Preez said.
It remains to be see whether Zuma will survive another year as the head of the ruling party, but most would agree that his country is battered and bruised and sullied in the eyes of the international community.
-0- PANA CU/VAO 12Feb2016
