Slog

News & Arts

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Politics Zille and Zuma

Posted by Charles Mudede on Wed, May 27, 2009 at 10:29 AM

694a/1243441810-zille.jpg
If the opportunity presented itself, I'd not think twice about removing Zuma from power (the new president of South Africa) and replacing him with the former mayor of Cape Town and current premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille. If black South Africans had used reason instead of fellow feeling to select their leader, Zuma, who represents everything I hate about black African males (and therefore everything that is wrong with the whole of black Africa), would not be the president of the richest country in Africa. But black Africans will never be reasonable. Never. That's why I'll never live on that fucking continent.

Already, the trouble is starting. After avoiding the trap of black nationalism for all these years, South Africa is now turning its face to the past (traditions, patriarchal power) and its back to the future (invention, creation of new values). The BBC reports:

Hundreds of supporters of South African President Jacob Zuma have protested in Cape Town against criticisms of him by official opposition leader Helen Zille.

The demonstrators said they would no longer tolerate the Western Cape premier's "anti-African behaviour".

And what is this "anti-African behavior"? A white woman denouncing a black African male tendency that has devastated millions of lives: having unprotected sex.

The Sowetan on Tuesday quoted Ms Zille as saying: "Zuma is a self-confessed womaniser with deeply sexist views, who put all his wives at risk by having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman."

Zille is right about this ignorant Zuma—the man who has the power, and will use that power, to destroy modern South Africa and make the apartheid period look like a paradise for black Africans. Zuma is nothing but a road to the hell Zimbabwe is in now.

Comments (9) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Bravo Charles.

Posted by PC on May 27, 2009 at 10:34 AM

Bravo indeed.

Posted by Joe M on May 27, 2009 at 10:41 AM

Agreed. Good work. This is South Africa's first post-apartheid Big Man.

Posted by Rotten666 on May 27, 2009 at 11:00 AM

I was afraid this day would come... couldn't agree with you more, Charles.

Posted by wench on May 27, 2009 at 11:09 AM

Agreed. This is real sad - sad and infuriating.

Posted by Jason Eckelman on May 27, 2009 at 11:39 AM

Charles,
Intense. Yeah, Jacob Zuma and his supporters' chauvinism is evident (calling the Premier a "girl"? Huh?). Indeed, the continent (as a whole) is in trouble. Seems its regressing. Many African societies still maintain the "big man" mystique. Quite sad.

Posted by lark on May 27, 2009 at 11:43 AM

This guy's a huge step backwards, and it's not anti-African to call someone out on stupid or dangerous behavior, it's common sense. I completely agree with Charles on this.

I think I need to go have a bit of a lie-down and reflect on this magic moment.

Posted by Jessica on May 27, 2009 at 11:47 AM

This was informative, Charles.

I learned a lot from you.

Pretty sad state of affairs for a country that just a few short years ago showed promise...

Posted by hartiepie on May 27, 2009 at 1:31 PM

Thank you, Charles.

You say what I think but cannot myself say because you are African and I am not.

Sub-Saharan Africa needs a new breed of leaders with progressive, as opposed to chauvanistic, values.

Otherwise, the sub-Saharan part of that continent will remain forever poor and plagued by AIDS.

Posted by Glossy on May 27, 2009 at 11:23 PM