Shadows over Nkosazana’s bid

WHY ZUMA’S EX WON’T LEAD PARTY Dlamini-Zuma lacks charisma, according to Kenyan newspaper.

The headline on the front page of Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation yesterday blared: “Zuma, man who brought down Mandela’s party.” The story, written by Chris Erasmus, posits 15 reasons why ANC presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is unlikely to be South Africa’s next president, whereas the odds of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa emerging victorious at the ANC’s upcoming elective conference in December seem probable.

“South African president has lined up his former wife to succeed him as the masses reject ANC in municipal polls and head to the streets in protest,” read the blurb for the article, which dissected the governing party’s challenges ahead of the conference.

Ramaphosa is described by Erasmus as a “wily” politician, while Dlamini-Zuma is said to have returned from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February from “an unremarkable stint at the African Union”.

“Zuma lapdogs,” the article stated, “specifically the ANC Women’s League and its oncefeisty youth league, have been touting Dlamini-Zuma as the heir-apparent.” Erasmus described Zuma’s time in office as a “baleful presidency” and Dlamini-Zuma as lacking charisma to lead Africa’s oldest liberation movement. “Indeed, Dlamini-Zuma has failed to ignite even mediocre spontaneous enthusiasm at the carefully selected events where she has spoken,” read the article. It also stated challenges such as Zuma’s Cabinet reshuffle on March 30 and the Gupta family as among the factors that might derail Dlamini-Zuma’s presidential ambitions.