Promises, promises – Jacob Zuma is a versatile politician. He has proven to be an exception to the old adage you can’t be everything to everybody – at least in his words over the last few weeks. According to him everybody will get what they want – from the hardcore capitalists to blue collar workers; from the poor black majority to the marginalised Afrikaners. Just show your colour and he will adapt his pitch to embrace you – a political chameleon of note.
Zuma and Mbeki
For non-South Africans that are not familiar with Zuma’s theme song (the kind that goes off like Barry White in Ally McBeal) – the lyrics Umshini wam, mshini wam / Khawuleth’umshini wam translate as My machine, my machine, please bring my machine where ‘machine’ is commonly understood to mean machine gun. Inspiring if you’re rallying support in a middle of an armed revolution no doubt.
It would be good for this contradictory rhetoric to get exposed in public debate so South Africa knows what Mr Zuma’s intentions really are for this country.
(15 raters, Click a star a star to rate this article)
Loading...
.
LOL!!!! I think the photo caption is funnier than the cartoon.. nice one!
I cannot blame Zuma for trying to gather support in various groups and politicians are notorious for making promises they cannot keep. You’re right though Sizwe.. the only way this will get exposed is in public debate.. one of the parties that have been promised something will necessarily come short in this debate and it will be interesting to see what line JZ draws in the debate
Umshini wam is the song that means bring my machine gun as the ANC fought for liberation but Zuma is singing this song to remember where he came from not, to shoot people. Give a chance to Zuma to lead and have a strong opposition party that will benefit the poor in SA
sikhangele – you’re right and I agree that the singing of Umshini wam is taken out of context by the media quite often. Don’t you think though that Zuma would do well to avoid the song altogether so these misunderstandings could be avoided? Zuma uses it as a marketing tool to rally the masses and this creates panic particularly for the whites in the country who rightly or wrongly see it as a calling to take arms again – it’s just not appropriate in the new South Africa we are trying to build.
About the chance for Zuma to lead – how is he going to lead effectively if he keeps making these promises all of which will be impossible for him to keep because they’re so contradictory? I agree with Mak below – the country needs to understand exactly what his stance is on the issues so voters can make an informed decision.
Empty promises is what keeps politicians the world over in the news!…so the old maxim alpplies ” all publicity is good publicity!!” it will be for the people to show their power on election day!…informed choice is almost impossible because the masses will only ever know what the spin doctors allow them to know!…many may echo the words of Jack Nicholson when Kaffee exclaims “I want the truth!” and Jessep declares emphatically, “You can’t handle the truth!”.
Lol bakenshark.. I somehow doubt you’re going to find ‘a few good men’ in politics – at least not in South African politics! Love the Zuma Chameleon!!
I dont care what the song means I think JZ is a disgrace. He behaves like an old boy who needs to go to an initiation school. What type of leader gets influence by Alliances leaders to make a decision about his country. We just dont afford to have a leader like him, its embarrassing to other countries. As for the debate, before they can take on Lekota, JZ must first do a public debate with Hellen Zille and Chief (Thabo Mbeki) wanted one with him as well. Then we can consider Lekota if he’s not prepared to go public with Zille & Mbeki then they must leave Terror alone.
Its the question on everyones mind- who will Zuma please…
Lets be sober south africans, can you ever put JZ as your trustee? You can see the man is confused, he says what will please audiences, not what anc stand for. ALWAYS HIS ADDRESS IS OF A LAYMAN, NOT PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL. VIVA COPE
Hi Boitumelo
Will you guys leave JZ alone. Remember that he’s not alone in these corruption charges. He had friends whom he worked with. e.g. Mbeki, Tokyo, Mandela etc. Shame, its just that you dont have someone to blame except him. Whether u guys like it or not make fun of him WE Will VOTE 4 JZ. It shows that you r greedy, just because u r not making money, like u used to. Now u r jumping 2 COPE. As he said ANC will role till Jesus comes.
Also u Hloma u r not getting all the publicity u used to get so now u decided that u going with COPE. It just shows that u belong in a circus, u r greedy for attention.
Remeber Mandela was also joked like JZ, and he was the best. What have the COPE executives done for u, while in the ANC? Also nothing but promises. Please use your medulas before you draw/laugh @ JZ.
In the 80’s the ANC asked Zuma to lead its campaign against the well resourced apartheid intelligence, a job he did sterlingly. In 1999 South Africa had Zuma as her deputy dresident. The ANC had deemed him fit enough to lead the ANC in case anything happened to Mbeki. Mbeki using his presidential prerogative concurred by appointing him as his deputy president of the state, invariably meaning he was ready to lead the state. There was never a question of leadership capability then until certain individuals with a deadly agenda started their campaign to split the ANC. The day the ANC splits many of you would realise how much of your achievements were a product of this ANC you so despise today. You would soon realise the wisdom of collectivism as espoused by the ANC against factional devisive and narrow circumcision interests. It will be too late to go back, and those we have compelled to change will frog march all of you out of those cushy padded corporate seats. Zuma is right in talking like a lay man, many of those who vote the ANC are lay people anyway. What is the point of speaking above those you are said to lead? Speaking grandiloquent English is not a measure of intelligence in my books.
We dont dispute that he is not fit to lead the country but after all he did, SA does’nt need a leader like JZ. He is a disgrace to the rest of the world. He thinks he’s doing revenge but you know what soon it will be cold out there for him and his alliance supporters. JZ watch the space, we will continue supporting the right thing and not crime.
promises and lies………..
now they want to bring the elections forward out of fear of those they say are no threat.
The ANC has shifted it’s vision, sad but true.
Mandela has opted for retirement as he may not want to disgrace the political party he has dedicated his life to.
TUTU has made it clear so what are the people thinking?
The media? ANC has to say something….. even if does not make sense!!!
Lol.. desperate times call for desperate measures Tom… If the ANC spent more time fixing the problems of the country and less time hassling Shikota for their choice of party name maybe some right-minded South Africans will consider voting ANC next year. Lekota should just call his party ‘NOT the ANC’ so there can be no confusion in the minds of voters. The ANC can use taxpayers money to build some houses for the poor then instead of using it on name change lawyers.
As for the media.. you’re 100% right again. According to the Sunday papers ANC is putting pressure on SABC.. why don’t we just skip 5 years and just call ourselves Zimbabweans.
For me the fact that Mandela is not openly supporting the ANC any longer should be a wake up call for South Africa. They were a great party – now they’re just a party of promises.
“malema says sorry” what a joke!!!! Sorry for being stupid…. they put pressure on this incompetent monkey so they can secure some votes as the media has helped them identify one of the problems.
Yengeni, the state has used our money and resources to protect who? The ruling party…….
PLEASE ENSURE THEY NEVER BE IN POWER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL…!! Tom – right on!!
Today, we have the western cape provincial govt blaming cope supporters of using state resources to organise a Cope meeting in Cape town….. So whats the issue? The ANC has done so too many times…
Parliament a state organ was used to disband the scorpions so JZ can be free?
AN CONTRADICTORY ORGANIZATION OPPRESSING THE PREVIOUSLY OPPRESSED.
To Trevor——- shame the ANC before they tarnish your reputation.
We need trevor before the anc and cosatu steer us into the abyss.
Debating President Zuma is a worthless exersize. I think he is a good president and has the required African mindset to rule over Africans, but not over white South Africans with a western civilization mindset. The white presidents of the past were good presidents for whites, but not for blacks. The present system of government will not work in South Africa, no matter how hard we try. It is time to consider at least the Western- , Eastern and Northern Cape as a federal state for those who can lay legitimate claim to it – the Brown indigenous people and the Whites who settled and developed it.