A bit rich from you, Zuma

At the UN General Assembly last week, President Jacob Zuma bemoaned the economic divide between the global north and south, emphasising that most people still live in abject poverty and hunger. He said that “our continent is endowed with mineral resources, but it still has the highest number of least developed countries”. He blasted multinational companies for “money laundering, tax evasion and corruption that suck resources illegally out of Africa”.

So, Mr Zuma, what contribution have you and your sidekick Robert Mugabe, made over the last 10 to 20 years to reduce abject poverty and hunger in your countries, close the economic gap between the global north and south; and stamp out money laundering and corruption that “suck resources out of Africa”?

They have aggravated the dire circumstances through theft, corruption, embezzlement, self-enrichment and disastrous policies. They have helped good friends, the Guptas, rape SA. And has Uncle Bob not single-handedly “sucked the resources” of Zimbabwe dry, supported by the AU and Southern African Development Community? Now the consequence of this appalling if not criminal behaviour is the fault of the West?

When historians record the most despised and shameful African leaders who added to the “abject poverty and hunger” of their people, the list will include Omar al-Bashir, Obiang Mbasogo, Mobutu Sese Seko, Jacob Zuma and Robert Mugabe.

John Perry Hartbeespoort