Senseless melody of tribalism

Somebody needs to call out Jacob Zuma to stop the little tricks he has been playing as his appointment with the inevitable draws even closer. The former president was in the dock last week as the reality of the corruption charges, that have been hanging over his head even before his days in the highest office in the land, hit home.

The state formally brought the 16 charges, among others, of corruption, money laundering and racketeering against Zuma for his alleged illegal dealings with arms suppliers and a convicted fraudster who happens to be his former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik.

Save for one more bid to have a permanent stay of prosecution Zuma has brought in the matter, it appears now that it will be left to the courts – and rightly so – to determine his guilt or exoneration.

However, what remains a worry is the conduct of the man who, not once but twice took the oath of office that behoved him to uphold the rule of law and at all times serve to unite and protect the interests of the nation.

Well, the man has been found wanting in that regard and many would justifiably doubt his interest – freed of the confines of the presidency – in doing what for once will not be solely about serving his narrow, selfish interests.

Throngs filled the Durban streets in the surrounds of the court on Friday, beating war drums, tinged with a melody of tribalism, that bane of postcolonial Africa which has often torn the people of this continent apart and led to senseless wars.

The ANC, the party Zuma led until only a few months ago, has eschewed ethnicity for obvious reasons as it sought to build – post centuries of colonialism and apartheid – a nation proudly united in its diversity. Weekend papers reported of a grand scheme hatched in KZN, Zuma’s home province, to undermine his successor Cyril Ramaphosa and eventually force him out of office.

The plan smacks of ethnic chauvinism, with ANC voters in the province, which is predominantly Zulu, urged to vote for the party only at provincial level in the next general elections.

Zuma, for his part, has not cleared the air. We urge him to come out and declare “Not in my name” if he has nothing to do with the dirty, dangerous game played on his behalf. But, we are not holding our breath.