,We have just celebrated the 20th anniversary of former SA President F W de Klerk’s famous speech to Parliament, announcing the release of Nelson Mandela and others, and
the unbanning of the ANC.

I have never thought that this added up to anything more estimable than common sense, though that perhaps would be a paradox among politicians, and especially nationalists of any hue. But it says something about where we are, that it has tended to be crowded out of the headlines by news of another baby for President Zuma, out of wedlock. This is reportedly his 20th, counting in and out of (oops!) and he will be marrying the mother, daughter of a prominent citizen who is not too pleased. As I understand it, she will have to take her place in the queue, he being once bereaved, once divorced, currently married to three and already committed to another later this year.

People understandably getting very fussed about the continuing focus on what some regard as private and comparatively trivial, while nationally urgent matters are neglected, include one of our better radio talk show hosts. He took the opportunity of interviewing the editor of Love Life, which I understand is a government-sponsored magazine dedicated, without much success, to sex education and HIV/Aids prevention. I have noted before that it avoids preaching morality (that would be very politically incorrect) and focuses rather on precaution. It was not long before we had agreement that young people are more influenced by their peer groups, anyway, than by the behaviour of their elders.

It might be otherwise if they could not help but observe the difference between what the President says and what he does. It is called hypocrisy and irresponsibility; it explains why other nationally urgent matters are neglected, and why it does not help inspire better behaviour. It is identified also in the difference at all levels between promises and delivery, and in exasperated protests.

Where does the world’s greatest golfer, Tiger Woods, fit in here? Tiger is wealthier than any of SA’s empowerment billionaires, because apart from prize money he enjoys massive sponsorships by mega companies. Put that in the past tense. He is revealed to be desperately promiscuous. Whose business is that? His family’s, those fans who lined the fairways to cheer him on, and the sponsors who have withdrawn financial support. That’s who. Any marketing guru will tell you that role models are great for campaigns, but not if they lose public respect. Not even Love Life would try to make its point by featuring Jacob Zuma.

Marketing of course requires being in touch with reality. What about politicians? ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu: “Why should a relationship between two adults … make headlines?”. (Wake him up, somebody). Youth League President Julius Malema: “We are Africans. Zuma is our elder, so we are not qualified to talk about that”. (Perhaps that is a kind of reality).
Nosipho Ntwanambi, ANC Womens’ League: “If the first wife agrees, and all these issues are discussed with her, we can’t do anything”. (I guess we just have to keep digging those graves). Opposition: Kenneth Meshoe (ACDP leader): “Zuma should undergo therapy for his sex addiction”. (Tiger is trying that). Helen Zille, DA leader: “His personal behaviour has profound public consequences”. (We note that ETV prefers to show less prominent opposition figures).

The plot thickens as I write. Today’s copy of The Times leads with a document sent to it anonymously, purporting to show that Zuma is in fact married by customary law to the mother of his latest child. Yes, well. Do we detect here the clumsy hand of Luthuli House spin doctors?

If there is one bit of good news coming out of this ongoing saga, it is the performance in general of the SA press, and of journalists like Justice Malala and Phylicia Oppelt in particular, showing no sign of bending to pressure. Let’s not forget either the early headline of The Sowetan: “A National Disgrace”.

A final point on the issue. Thabo Mbeki’s denialist stance on HIV/Aids was an important factor in his eventual dismissal. His motivation in part was that it was a racist plot to convey a distasteful picture of black sexual habits. That kind of thinking has been raised again, again damaging the fight against the pandemic.

The broader issue of Zuma’s leadership is also more and more discredited, as groups and individuals pursue their own goals. ANC Youth League boss Julius Malema ignores exhortations not to intrude in classrooms with political campaigning during school hours, and tells the Minister of Mines she doesn’t know what she is talking about when she tries to convince investors that nationalisation is not on the agenda.

The courts are growing revolving doors as the usual suspects move in and out on the same and different cases involving murder and corruption, sometimes involving the same legal teams. It’s an industry and not a very savoury one.