By Nomsa Maseko, DURBAN South Africa
Elected, accused of corruption - fired, accused of rape - acquitted, elected president, accused of corruption again - denied again, ousted, imprisoned for contempt of court - freed, barred from becoming a Member of Parliament.
For most politicians almost
any of these punches would have proved fatal to their career, but not for South
Africa’s Jacob Zuma.
Like a resolute prize-fighter,
the 82-year-old former president may have been knocked down on occasions, but
he has never been knocked out.
During the recent election campaign,
he has been doing his familiar dance and the results of last week’s vote show
he still wields huge influence.
He is at the helm of a new
party that took on the African National Congress (ANC), gaining 15% of the
vote.
The results have been
humiliating for the ANC, the liberation movement Mr Zuma once led, as it has
lost its outright parliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years - and
the “Zuma tsunami”, as it has been dubbed, is partly responsible.
In the centre of the coastal
city of Durban, the main city in KwaZulu-Natal province, Mr Zuma’s smiling face
beams down from virtually every street lamp on green-and-black election posters
of his recently formed party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) or Spear of the Nation.
There is no doubting the
octogenarian’s exalted status here in his heartland, where he is respected for
upholding his cultural and traditional Zulu beliefs.
He is also lauded for his role
as a peace broker during political violence in the early 1990s, which almost
derailed the country’s transition to democracy.
And more than 20 years ago, he
was credited with bringing voters in KwaZulu-Natal from the Zulu nationalist
Inkatha Freedom Party to the ANC.
This year he was able to take
his loyal supporters with him to MK, which is named after the ANC’s former
armed wing and holds huge political symbolism because of its role in fighting
for the end of white-minority rule.
The launch of MK’s manifesto, a week before the 29 May election at a packed 40,000-seater stadium, was a clear signal that “uBaba” (father), as Mr Zuma is known, was back.
The sea of his supporters
braving the scorching heat chanted: “Zuma! Zuma!”
One shouted: “Uyinsizwa
nxamala”, which loosely translates from Zulu as “a fearless warrior who never
backs down”.
On election day, arriving at
his polling station, a modestly built primary school without flushing toilets,
the MK party leader was greeted by hundreds of people who called out his clan
names: “Msholozi, Nxamalala, Maphum’ephethe”.
The former president waved and
smiled at them before entering a classroom to vote.
As he left the polling
station, his supporters sang a pro-Zuma song in Zulu made popular several years
ago when the former president was accused of corruption.
One refrain they belted out
translates as: “What has Zuma done? You’re influenced by propaganda from
so-called white monopoly capital.”
Many politicians can rely on a
loyal core of backers, but Mr Zuma’s ability to genuinely connect with the poor
and marginalised is what sets him apart.
And this may explain his
enduring popularity despite facing numerous scandals and damning accusations.
Six years ago, it seemed that
his luck had finally run out when he was forced from the presidency, following
a litany of corruption allegations, which he denied.
Cyril Ramaphosa replaced him
as president and Mr Zuma became a political pariah and a damaged brand.
Then three years ago, things
got worse: he was sent to jail after being found in contempt of court for
failing to give evidence and testify at a judicial investigation into
corruption during his nine-year term as president.
His arrest in July 2021
sparked the deadliest riots since the end of white-minority rule in 1994 and
led to the deaths of more than 300 people.
He had been sentenced to 15
months, but President Ramaphosa released him after he had served only three, in
an attempt to placate him and his angry supporters.
Just a few weeks ago, it
seemed Mr Zuma was dealt another blow after being legally barred from standing
as a member of parliament because of his conviction.
But none of that seemed to
matter to voters, and his propensity to outsmart his political opponents was
evident, which the ANC acknowledged.
“Jacob Zuma is a force to be
reckoned with in South African politics… we never underestimated him,” admitted
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, as he reflected on his party’s dismal
performance.
Despite his suspension from
the ANC, Mr Zuma remains a member of the party that brought an end to
apartheid.
With no formal schooling and a
modest upbringing, his anti-apartheid activism eventually saw him jailed for 10
years at the notorious Robben Island prison along with Nelson Mandela.
After the ban against the ANC
was lifted by the white government in 1990, Mr Zuma returned from exile and
rose through the party’s ranks. In 1999 he was appointed deputy president of
the country.
He was then implicated in
corruption allegations in 2005, which he denied, involving 1999 arms deal and
was fired by then-President Thabo Mbeki. This case continues to drag on - and
he still faces charges over the multi-billion-dollar scandal.
In December of that year, he
was accused of raping the daughter of a party comrade. He admitted to having
sex with the woman, who was HIV positive, but said the encounter was
consensual.
Mr Zuma invited ridicule when
he said he had had a shower after sex to prevent HIV transmission and believed
that a healthy man was unlikely to catch HIV from a woman.
The rape case took place a few
years before he became president
He then fought his way back to
the top of the ANC and became president in 2009.
Mr Zuma remained in the role
until he was forced to resign in 2018 after intense pressure from his own
party.
This came after he was accused
of being involved in a process known as “state capture”, where he allowed a
family of wealthy businessmen - the Guptas - to wield massive political
influence.
Mr Zuma and the Gupta brothers
have dismissed the allegations of corruption as a fabrication.
The former president and his
supporters blame his successor, Mr Ramaphosa, for his downfall.
And now he might want to
settle a score with his rival.
With coalition talks under
way, the MK party has made it clear that it will only form a partnership with
the ANC if the president resigns.
Freshly emboldened by his
party’s performance, Mr Zuma threw the first punch on Saturday, alleging
irregularities.
“Nobody must declare results,
don’t provoke us, don’t start trouble,” he said on the eve of the announcement
of the final election results.
The electoral commission has
strongly denied these allegations.
Police are now on alert
because of the risk of potential unrest following Mr Zuma’s comments.
Yet despite this acrimonious
situation and relationship, the ANC has not ruled out a coalition with the MK
party.
“We are talking to everybody
who is prepared to form a government with us,” Mr Mbalula said.
It all shows Mr Zuma’s
remarkable ability to remain in the ring.
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