Had enough of Zuma presidency

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NEVER in the history of South African politics has any head of state had almost all his appointments questioned and challenged, as is happening with our current president. From the attempts to extend Judge Sandile Ngcobo's terms as chief justice to the recently nullified appointment of the arrogant Menzi Simelane, these placed both the credibility and the integrity of the president's legal advisers in the spotlight.

Some argue there is nothing sinister about Jacob Zuma's advisers and the advice they give. The problem is with the man himself, who does not heed their advice, but instead takes the advice to Luthuli House and SACP headquarters for both Gwede Mantashe and Blade Nzimande to have a last bite.

Notwithstanding the official legal advice given to him, it is what these two lieutenants tell him that will see the light of day.

Not even in '80s, when we resolved to make the country ungovernable and apartheid unworkable, did we witness service delivery protests and industrial action of this magnitude. Rampant looting of state resources by the head of state who is regarded as "pro-poor" and "sympathetic" to the working class in our country has reached unprecedented proportions.

Allocation of more than R60-million for the Zulu king's budget in the current financial year, despite massive landlessness and abject poverty in those areas, is a clear indication of how reckless Zuma's administration can be with the taxpayers' money. I do not recall the king being employed.

For him to appear on national television accusing people from the other provinces of poking their noses in his affairs is sheer arrogance. All kings are equal and they do not have a passport recklessly to spend taxpayers' money without accounting to anyone.

Taxpayers will from time to time demand transparency from whoever is operating on their taxes. The luxurious lifestyle that the king enjoys is what his subjects can only dream of.

One shudders to think what would be happening to our constitutional democracy and our country if we did not have a strong opposition and a vigilant media. Imagine the draconian Protection of State Information Bill being enacted in its current form.

Without the independent judiciary and independent state organs headed by fearless people of Thuli Madonsela's calibre, all the unconstitutional appointments made by Zuma would still be intact.

Thanks to the brave men and women in the media, we now know of all the mess surrounding the textbook scandal and the Department of Education, the exodus taking place at SAA and the looting of resources at the SABC. More than R240-million to be spent on Zuma's "national key point" of Nkandla is also a subject of debate.

Given Zuma's character as a person surrounded by scandal after scandal, one wonders which eye of the needle he managed to go through to become ANC president and head of state.

Nzimande, Sister Sdumo Dlamini, Mantashe and Buti Manamela should tell us about the "pro poor" side of Zuma that they know. If there is any legacy that Zuma left other than the instability in his party and the corruption in his administration, let them tell us.

I urge all the South African people who love this country to stand up and say no to the continuing gang rape of state resources. I still do not understand the logic behind the second term when Zuma has dismally failed within the short space of time in office.

Nzimande should stop misleading the workers by asking them to vote for Zuma. Workers are intelligent enough to know or distinguish between right and wrong. If he wants to vote for Zuma to continue manipulating him, he is free to do so without us.