There are so many voices speaking out against Jacob Zuma that it’s hard to find any credible support for him, even inside the ANC, writes Bobby Brown.
In the build-up to Workers’ Day, the past two weeks have been a political minefield, as well as a storyteller’s goldmine in terms of South African politics.
And with the ANC’s Elective Conference around the corner, the political pot is going to be boiling over in the next six weeks.
The latest is Mathews Phosa’s acceptance of his nomination from Langa, as president of the ANC.
His name is a bit of a surprise, because usually only four names are ever mentioned as successor to Jacob Zuma: Zweli Mkhize, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Baleka Mbete and Nelson Mandela’s favourite Cyril Ramaphosa.
Now Phosa is also in the mix, which is going to make matters very interesting.
All of this is happening while there’s news weekly of attempts to unseat Zuma before his term ends in 2019.
There are so many voices speaking out against him these days that it’s hard to find any credible support for him, even inside the ANC.
Just this weekend, the SACP’s Blade Nzimande also called for Zuma to step down, but softening the blow slightly by saying it’s “not personal”.
The communists, alongside Cosatu, are an important part of the tripartite alliance that ensures the ANC’s success at the polls during elections.
And Zuma is losing the battle against them, as more and more of their respected leaders speak out against him.
While calls mount for him to step down, President Zuma also unites people
The former tourism minister Derek Hanekom also joined the anti-Zuma chorus this weekend, despite still being a member of the ANC’s powerful National Executive Committee.
Hanekom was one of the victims of Zuma’s latest reshuffle and he also tried to be nice by saying it’s not personal, but that Zuma just isn’t good for the country anymore.
While Zuma is clearly one of our greatest dividers, he has oddly also been responsible for bringing people together, who otherwise may not have considered working together.
And here I’m talking specifically of the new “Freedom Movement” that was launched a little over a week ago.
This is a group of civil society leaders, labour unions and political parties that have come together with the moral support of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu - one of the few leaders whose giggle can still be trusted.
While the UDM and the DA are leading the pack, the EFF, IFP, African Christian Democratic Party and Cope are considering aligning themselves.
This is significant, simply because it will probably be our biggest and most diverse public alliance with a single objective - the removal of Zuma from office.
Presumably once that objective is realised, then they will go back to eyeing each other with suspicion.
But interestingly, Phosa is quoted as saying that the ANC may not even get 50% of the vote in 2019.
And then he added that we may in fact be moving towards a mature democracy of alliance partners and coalition politics.
ANC stalwart and former Cabinet minister Derek Hanekom
So could that be the answer to ensure there are no future Zumas in the Union Buildings - a coalition government where members constantly eye each other with healthy suspicion?
If their very survival and job security forced them to have integrity and run the country honestly, or risk being piemped by an opposition member wanting their job, then isn’t that a good thing?
It appears at least Phosa is ready for such an eventuality, and that may just make him the best man for the job.
But first to force Zuma out. And even in that regard, Phosa left us with a titillating statement: “ if you think the scandals around comrade Zuma are over, wait for the next few weeks. There are more coming out. Fasten your seatbelts, you are going to have more shocks.”
* Bobby Brown is a Smile90.4 FM radio presenter. His weekly column, Bobby on the Beat, is published in the Daily Voice.