ZUMA OF SOUTH AFRICA

The elections in South Africa have come and gone leaving a man who is loved and loathed in equal measure at the helm of the rainbow nation. It is clear that those who love this man are more than those who hate him as evidenced by the re-sounding victory. Looking at his supporters as they celebrated one could not help see a people desperate for a hero who will lead them to the Promised Land. Men, women and children desperate for a government that will see their plight and do something to improve it. I must admit that I find Zuma difficult man to understand. The media has done much to portray him as a man surrounded by controversy. I, however, believe that despite his poor judgement he cannot be any worse than Thabo Mbeki. At least he believes that HIV causes AIDS even though he has this weird idea that if you take a shower after having sex with an infected person you will be okay. It would appear that his legal problems are over after the prosecutors decided not to continue pressing charges. Now the man is faced with leading arguably Africa’s biggest and most prosperous economy. There are many challenges that he will face as he navigates the choppy and treacherous waters of recession economics. Faced with a nation whose expectation has risen to feverish levels in the last fifteen years he needs to deal with issues of poverty, disproportionate land ownership and rising unemployment among the majority black population. The ANC has promised people paradise for fifteen years but all they have got to show for it is a rich black bourgeoisie that is growing even richer as more and more people are getting poor. Zuma has to manage the expectations but he also has to deliver some tangibles to the people of South Africa. It would be a mistake for Zuma to keep promising the people heaven when their lives are hell. The people will not give Zuma a lot of room and in all fairness he should not procrastinate. I am not urging him to do a Mugabe and act out of haste without planning. Although Jacob Zuma has been portrayed as a populist leader he comes across to me as a man who thinks things through carefully before acting. As leader of the ANC he could have stepped in to become the President of the Republic when Mbeki was ousted but he knew the implications so he allowed a transition by appointing Kgalema Mohlante instead. This has helped to stabilise the nation and hopefully will allow him to assume power legitimately after being popularly elected. I, therefore, think that he will try to balance the expectations with what can be done. However, Zuma must avoid doing a Zimbabwe. It took 20 years for Mugabe to act on the genuine demands of the majority in Zimbabwe. When he eventually acted it was as a cornered leader and without proper planning. The result is there for all to see.South Africa under Zuma needs to carefully plan the empowerment of ordinary people so that when they act it will be with a plan. I do not doubt that the poor are at the heart of Zuma’s political philosophy but I fear that he may leave it until it is late to address their concerns. At this point I wish to quote Dr Martin Luther King Jnr’s ‘I have a dream’ speech:“In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination…” You could substitute America for any country in Southern Africa. You could substitute it with South Africa! When the people of South Africa voted in their millions for Zuma and the ANC they were hoping to cash the cheque that the ANC has promised to honour since 1994. If, however, the cheque turns out to be bad again for the third time then the people will lose faith. It is important for Zuma to realise that when he comes to Pretoria to take his place as the third President of the Republic of South Africa he takes with him a note promising ‘…that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ It will be up to him to make sure that his multitude of supporters can cash this cheque of prosperity. Having watched Mugabe destroy our wonderful country by not taking opportunities to correct the colonial wrongs early I hope Zuma does it early. Fifteen years is a long time for people to wait but any longer is pushing the patience of the people. I believe that it would be fatal for Zuma to ignore the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of his own people. After 15 years it is time to take back the cheque marked ‘insufficient funds’ in order to give the people a cheque that they and their children can cash. I wish Zuma and South Africa well because when they succeed then there is hope for SADC in general and Zimbabwe in particular. Jacob Zuma portrays himself as a champion of the masses so now is the time to stand up and be counted. It is now up to the Zulu warrior to make the dreams of millions of South Africans finally come true.