Pitso Tsibolane, News24 User
If there is truth in the wise old saying "Show me friends, I will show you your character", then the character of the future leadership of the ANC president leaves a lot to be desired.
The reports seem to indicated that South Africa's future president, Mr. Zuma has new friends; experts known as the "Zuma brains trust" to help him devise a strategy to overcome his legal woes. The team consists of Sipho Seepe, Judge Willem Heath and one interesting figure known as Paul Ngobeni.
One wonders what is in it for a man of great reputation like Sipho Seepe to enter this fray in this way; what are his reasons for taking sides in an epic battle to clear a victory path for a questionable leader like Zuma. The answer perhaps lies in his serious dislike of Thabo Mbeki which we have witnessed, but should he risk his reputation to this extent?
The article points out that Prof Seepe says he in involved in this adventure because he wants to protect the integrity and independence of public institutions. One wonders if there was perhaps a better way for the esteemed professor to achieve this noble goal.
Similarly Willem Heath is no stranger to controversy. Once an esteemed Judge, and now an advocate, he was the head of the now defunct Heath's Special Investigations Unit, which in the words of Johny Steinberg turned out to be a body "answerable to, and controlled by, the executive", despite all Heaths proclamations of independence then.
He was later given marching orders by his colleagues. After his infamous stint as Mbeki's cowboy and the arms deal fiasco, he later on re-appeared in the public eye as a legal advisor for Zuma, to help him fight his corruption charges which are related to the very same arms deal he used to investigate!
Three's company
Let me draw your attention to an interesting man in the trio; Paul Ngobeni. According to a recent report by the Citizen newspaper, Paul Ngobeni, who is currently a University of Cape Town's deputy registrar of legal services, faces 12 years in a US jail for fraud, larceny and practising law illegally.
Just like the character known as Judge Hlophe, Ngobeni seems to have vested interests in making a new name for himself and perhaps securing future rewards by betting for the apparently "winning horse" called Zuma.
It seems a free for all; any character that aims and wishes to remake its profile, catapult itself into the limelight or simply seeks attention seems to be found in the Zuma landscape.
As Mr Zuma adds to his arsenal of friends which is already "enriched" by the presence of men like Shabir Shaik, Fikile Mbalula, Julius Malema and many more, one wonders if indeed the future of South Africa is in safe hands.
As the desperate battle to cleanse the moral character of Jacob Zuma takes incredible leaps, may we be reminded that a country is as strong as its weakest link, more so if that link in the chain happens to be its president!
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