Zuma scandal 'strains' ANC

2010-02-10 14:10

Johannesburg - Public outrage over President Jacob Zuma's out-of-wedlock child has strained the ruling party and raised the stakes for his State of the Nation address on Thursday, analysts said.

South Africa hardly murmured when its polygamous president married his fifth wife last month, even with another fiancée waiting in the wings.

But news last week of his 4-month-old daughter, the 20th child for the 67-year-old president, born to the daughter of a top World Cup organiser, has been greeted with headlines like "Shame of the Nation".

Cartoons depict Zuma at the podium in Parliament, delivering the State of the Nation while rocking a crib. Editorials question his fitness for office.

"If the president is unable to respect social boundaries such as those created through marriage, how can he be trusted to respect the boundaries erected in terms of the national Constitution's checks and balances?" Business Day wrote.

Regret

Initially defending the love-child as a personal matter, Zuma apologised on Saturday, saying he "regretted" the pain he had caused the nation.

But the apology won a lukewarm reception, and the normally gregarious Zuma has studiously avoided public appearances - taking two days unscheduled leave last week, and cancelling a tour through a Cape Town informal settlement on Monday.

"It's about the ANC trying to minimise impromptu public contact and fearing if anything were to happen it would overshadow the State of the Nation address," said University of Witwatersrand political analyst Susan Booysen.

"This couldn't have happened at a worse time," said Aubrey Matshiqi, of the Centre for Policy Studies.

"There has always been this myth that Zuma is loved by everybody," said political analyst Steven Friedman, of the Centre for the Study of Democracy.

"There is a quite significant section of people who didn't like him, but voted for him because he was the only candidate against Mbeki" for leadership of the ANC, he said.

'One apology away from crisis'

Even Zuma's allies in labour unions have appeared at a loss to respond to the latest scandal. Cosatu initially declined to "pass judgement" on Zuma, but reiterated its support for using condoms to fight Aids.

Cosatu welcomed Zuma's apology, but Matshiqi said the ruling party appeared "one apology away from a leadership crisis".

"The immediate challenge would be to consolidate the forces that supported him" during his rise to power, Matshiqi added.

Zuma's speech to Parliament, to be broadcast live during prime-time television, was expected to focus on creation of decent work as the country recovers from last year's recession.

Nelson Mandela will be seated nearby, to mark the 20th anniversary of his release from prison, symbolism Zuma had hoped to seize to promote his political agenda.

Now analysts warn that unless he manages to win public opinion back to his side, Zuma could suffer from the comparison to the former president known fondly as Madiba, still seen as the nation's ethical beacon.

Booysen said Zuma "is one of our big national symbols, and if people are laughing about this, it affects everyone".

"South Africans want to be proud of their president and draw parallels to Madiba, who everyone is proud of."

- AFP