(For your information, general elections are scheduled for 2009 and the ANC holds an unassailable lead among the electorate; the current incumbent is Thabo Mbeki, a pretentious philosopher-king.)
Zuma is variously known as ‘The Comeback Kid‘ (way before Hillary Clinton’s New Hampshire primary win), ‘Umshini Wam‘ (Zulu for ‘my machine gun’) and ‘100% Zuluboy‘ (he proffers a rabid Zulu nationalism). Zuma would have taken ‘Mr 10 percent’ too, but Benazir Bhuttu’s husband took that moniker. He is also an avowed sexist and homophobe and a convenient foil for Western journalists to air old stereotypes of African politics.
My aim is to print verbatim statements by Zuma’s supporters and critics, as well as observers of the South African scene, as they are recorded in First World media.
I promise to be a dedicated watcher of the Zuma Chronicles as I am of The Wire, but can’t ensure content as all foreign correspondents have moved to Kenya. Blame Thabo Mbeki for that.
So, first up is Matthews Phosa, once a rival to Mbeki and sometimes Afrikaans poet, who is serving again in the African National Congress’ top leadership.
Last week the Washington Post reported the news that the ANC was officially endorsing Zuma as its candidate for the 2009 elections despite the prospect that Zuma could be sent to prison on corruption charges later this year (the trial is set for August). [Full story here.]
During a press conference to announce this, Phosa defended his leader thus:
‘This case is very politically inspired … And if you deny it, you are just living in your own world, and we’ll leave you there.’
