He seduced the unions, the communists, two-thirds of his party, the ANC Youth League and danced his way to power a decade ago. Now, he is gone — almost. The departure of Jacob Zuma is the single most important event in SA’s recent history, with enormous consequences for politics and the economy. A very rough guide to his presidency might indicate what needs to be changed by the new ANC leaders. Zuma’s accession to power was a stop-start affair, dividing the ANC and the nation. Mired in a scandal after his "financial adviser" was found guilty of corrupting him, he was fired as deputy president in 2005. He was then charged with rape, but Zuma survived to become the president of the ANC at the party’s Polokwane conference in December 2007. Unlike former president Thabo Mbeki, Zuma counted the numbers; his supporters mobilised branches and created new ones so he was assured of a large majority.
Long before then, Zuma had embarked on a drive to amass power. In 2005, his ANC Youth L...
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