Karma, unity in the week that was
Going, going ... Gone?
Another week and we’re no closer to knowing when President Jacob Zuma will exit the Union Buildings.
Amid the clamour of speculation there’s still no clear sign that it won’t be uMsholozi himself giving the State of the Nation address. Opposition parties asked Parliament to postpone the address, ostensibly for a debate on a motion of no-confidence in Zuma, but alas, Parliament insists the address will continue as planned. (See “Parties unite to trip up JZ over Sona, Page 5.) And our newly-minted Cape Town correspondent, Govan Whittles, reports on how Parliament will deal with disruptions. (See “‘Orderly’ speech to go ahead, Page 5). But the humdinger is our lead this week (“Zuma digs in heels over Sona”, Page 3) on why the president insists he will be delivering the address.
Keep calm and save water
One of the reasons Parliament would be loath to delay the Sona, which will take place on February 8, is the logistical nightmare it would cause. The water crisis in Cape Town would be an added consideration for said logistics.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance is very proud that Day Zero has been pushed back four days to April 16. No, we’re still not sure why the DA is conflating party and state.
The water crisis has been quite the gift for Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, who was at the centre of another social media storm when she tweeted: “For all the gloating Jo’burgers, please remember: Karma can be a real bitch.” She later apologised and said she had intended to respond to a tweet of someone in Johannesburg wasting water and mocking the Western Cape’s water crisis.
The DA appears to have had enough of Zille. This week the party’s federal executive warned her to stop tweeting about colonialism — again. Zille was responding to a tweet that said black people have experienced Day Zero since birth. She responded: “It must be a relief that you weren’t burdened by the legacy of a colonial water piping system.”
Meanwhile, mud-slinging has intensified in the DA as the Cape Town caucus moves to remove its mayor. (See “Madikizela: De Lille’s own caucus has lost faith in her”, Page 8.)
Master of all
Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt trained with Mamelodi Sundowns this week. Bolt, who ended his sprinting career in 2017, insists he is serious about his football ambitions. But the Jamaican will have to improve his fitness — he was visibly out of breath after training with the Brazilians on Monday. Bolt promises to be in better shape when he trials with German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund next month.
From far over the seas
United States President Donald Trump appealed for unity in his first State of the Union address. His appeal is, however, a long way from being realised. Many Democrats did not attend the speech — allegedly the biggest boycott for this address — and others brought undocumented immigrants and survivors of sexual assault as guests.