Honourable President Jacob G Zuma is a very smart-man.
Our president Mr. Jacob G Zuma is a smart-man. Hold on.....he is a smart man because the majority of the people of this country have certified him to being a smart man by democratically placing him into power - Is he Really? - If I should place before you a choice between Idi Amin and Adolf Hitler for a leader, is that much of a choice? Ok..Ok what about Mandela vs Ghandi vs Benjamin Franklin....apologies but to be more realistic how about Zuma vs Motlanthe?
Back to topic, what is a smart-man to those who see him as such?
1. He appeals to the ideals of his followers;
2. He is able to appease his followers;
3 he can also rise above challenges that no ordinary man can....and he has charisma (I feel like breaking into song right now....mshiniwam mshiniwam).
With these few basic characteristics at their disposal smart-men are able to set themselves apart by taking full advantage of their limited resources and compound that into a powerful resource. This resource is used by these smart-men to channel a sense of hope, security, aspiration and escape (no pun intended)....which are the basic needs for the majority of people in a post-apartheid South Africa.
Economics 101 tells you that business is about maximising profit while politics are concerned with maximising votes...and it’s true anywhere else but here in SA...I think SA businesses have become about maximising politician's profits while SA politics are concerned with maximising business' profits. SA' s big businesses are also not exempt from Zuma's spell, I don't think so because the majority of businesses have maximised profits under the rule of this smart-man…in a sense he becomes their smart-man.
Frankly, our current ruling party does not need to work that hard for the votes during a general election. Votes come like second nature to the ANC because the majority of our people have long-term memories, thanks to the SABC’s tactical programming during that period.
I still say that Zuma is a smart-man, but as with many smart-men before him he will fail to address the desperate needs of the citizens in SA. He will not fail because of incompetence or ignorance but only because it is human nature, that in order to please some it is normally at the expense of others. In that way the nature of politics and society corrects itself by electing a leader who is considered a smart-man by the majority of that day.
To those 4500 delegates heading to Mangaung to represent 60% of South Africa’s electorate, good luck with all the hard choices you have to make for electing your smart-man.
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