The year was 2008, in the month of September. Back then, a seer from the rugged hills of Nkandla in the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal prophesied that the political party he led, the African National Congress (ANC), would govern South Africa until the Second Coming – yes, that end-of-days event when the skies shall part, revealing Jesus Christ in His glory.
That seer, of course, is our very own Msholozi, aka Jacob Zuma. But in prophecy, as in politics, nothing is straightforward. He could not foresee that, in slightly over a decade, he would be forced by his party to step down as State President, his legacy stained by allegations of corruption on a grand scale, the repercussions of which are felt to this day.
But Zuma’s alleged corruption is one of a kind in Africa. Unlike the Sani Abachas of this world, no evidence has been produced that he squirrelled away billions of dollars in foreign bank accounts. Neither has he been shown to own property in exotic locales such as the French Riviera. As far as I am aware, only one story linking him to secret real estate he allegedly owns abroad has been published. That was in 2017, when a leading South African Sunday newspaper alleged that the Gupta brothers – they of State capture infamy – had bought him a ten-bedroom mansion in Dubai. But the story turned out to be fake news.
As someone argued a few weeks back, at the height of campaigning for South Africa’s 2024 national and provincial elections, Zuma does not seem to have lined his pockets with ill-gotten gains during his nine years as South Africa’s head of State. Instead, he allowed other actors, the Gupta brothers included, to loot State resources on an industrial scale.
Fast forward to early June 2024. Elections 2024 have come and gone. The ANC no longer has a majority in the National Assembly, rendering it unable to constitute the country’s next government on its own. What are we to make of Zuma’s prediction that ANC rule in South Africa would extend into eternity?
I’m sure, if Zuma were to be quizzed about this, the conversation would go like this:
Questioner: The ANC is not going to be in charge any more. But you once told us the party would run the show until kingdom come?
Zuma (giggling, as he is wont to do when answering tricky questions): Look, it’s a matter of perspective. The ANC is still the largest party in Parliament and will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in any governing coalition. So, you see, the party is still firmly in the driver’s seat, and will continue to steer the ship of State.
Questioner: So you still believe the ANC will govern in perpetuity?
Zuma: Absolutely!
Questioner: Some commentators have attributed the ANC’s loss of its Parliamentary majority to uMkhonto weSizwe, a political party you formed, which now has the third-biggest representation in the National Assembly.
Zuma (his tone now serious): Ah, yes, MK. You see, I was a bit miffed. But it’s water under the bridge now. Once the current leadership is gone, I will be back in the fold, and the party will be stronger than ever. You can count on it.
Meanwhile, Julius Malema, who, since bursting onto the political scene more than two decades ago, has stirred up the political pot like an alchemist, is giving Zuma a run for his money as a seer of South Africa’s political future.
Addressing the media just a day after voting ended, when it had become apparent that the ANC would no longer be the invincible titan of South African politics, he said it would be downhill going forward for the former liberation movement. This, he said, was why he would willingly go into a coalition with the party, knowing that its slide would continue, while his own party’s fortunes would increase, positioning it to eventually grab the governing mantle.
It is clear that, in the realm of politics, the future is anyone’s guess. A degree of certainty, however, is guaranteed where politicians deliver much-needed services.