Thursday, October 25, 2012
Jacob Zuma
The Economist article that we read in class on Monday hints at a lack of sound leadership in South Africa as one of the underlying issues affecting the country today. Your task is to write a short analysis of Jacob Zuma as president. Mention 3 reasons why you think he is a good state president and 3 reasons why you think he is not. Look beyond the issues of his rape trial and his polygamy. Be sure to read parts of his inaugural speech as president to determine if he has delivered on his promises to the nation: http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/2009/05/09/jacob-zumas-inauguration-speech-full-text/ Post your response before our next class on November 7th.
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As is true for all political leaders, South African president Jacob Zuma has been the recipient of much criticism in recent news. A member of the African National Congress or ANC, Zuma in theory has been committed to increasing the quality of life for the large population of South African’s still living in squalor. In his inaugural address, Zuma promised to, “Build a society in which all people are freed from the shackles of discrimination, exploitation, want and disease.” But has he accomplished any or all of these things?
ReplyDeleteSince Zuma’s defeat of Mbeki in 2007, the president has promoted himself as a “man of the people” someone who came from humble backgrounds, and is committed to the average South African. Zuma’s election was viewed as a “time of impending change” as the party was predicted to move from its centrist views, to more leftist stances on many issues. However since Zuma’s election, wealth disparity has increased, there has been small improvement in the quality of life in the majority of the townships, and unemployment is still rampant.
However, to be fair to a leader, one must look at the situation in which the leader in question, in this case Zuma inherited South Africa. President Zuma’s abilities and plans were definitively hindered by the economic recession in 2008, due to South Africa’s strong ties with the west and their seemingly unstable economies. But do the increase in unemployment rates, and growing distance between rich and poor and rise in frustrated South African population all translate back to Zuma’s (failed) presidency?
Frankly, I don’t believe that Zuma has lived up to his promises in the least. I am not saying that all of the hardships that currently exist in South Africa are Zuma’s fault- not even close. But I do not think that the efforts Zuma have made have been effective on a grand scale. Studies show that the more unequal a society, the less pleasant the standard of life, the less prevalence of social mobility and essentially the lack of reason for people to be motivated. Also, Zuma’s ethics- or lack there of should be taken into consideration when evaluating him as a leader, let alone a person. In a society ravaged by HIV/AIDS, the leader should be required to promote good habits, and education; none of which Zuma has promoted. Jacob Zuma has been all talk, and little action. Through his unfulfilled promises, lack of morals and essential inability to execute on his plans, I don’t think Zuma has been an effective president.
However, Zuma has a big appeal to the South Africans. He has been elected twice now, and is up for reelection again in December. I think that his reliability to the citizens- his race to be frank is something that plays to his advantage. I think Zuma has a clear advantage over the leader of the DA, a white female who is often characterized as the leader of a racist party. Zuma’s message is also wildly appealing to South Africans. The message of anti-oppression, and equality and opportunity for all is more than appealing- especially for those who have received a decently low lot in life. Zuma’s charisma does not hurt his chances either. Plus, since Zuma is currently in charge, he has the capability to tamp down any potential political uprisings, or momentum that other parties might be gaining.
Essentially Zuma seems awesome. It would appear South Africans would rather an ineffective black leader, who promotes anti-oppression as opposed to a white relatively productive one. Zuma sets his sights high- talks very large but for the most part, South Africans are suffering.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/z/jacob_g_zuma/index.html
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/2009/05/09/jacob-zumas-inauguration-speech-full-text/
http://www.biography.com/people/jacob-zuma-262727
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17450447
In Jacob Zuma's inauguration speech, he talk a lot about how he will help South Africa as a country and help the people out of poverty. He states, "We are now called upon to implement our Manifesto. The dreams and hopes of all the people of our country must be fulfilled. There is no place for complacency, no place for cynicism, no place for excuses.
ReplyDeleteEverything we do must contribute in a direct and meaningful way to the improvement of the lives of our people." To me, that sounds like a great president. He understand the struggle that the people are living through and he is willing to give everything to help the ones in poverty, get out of poverty, the children without an education, get an education. Zuma has a plan that would change the country entirely. He has taken inspiration from the previous leaders of South Africa in admiration and as advice to improve there work even more, to not make the same mistakes they did.
The only problem with Zuma is, he hasn't done much for the country at all. I'm not saying the Zuma hasn't done his job as President, he has, but not to the full extent he said he would. They are still enormous number of children without an education and hundreds of people still living in poverty. And the ones who are not living in poverty are getting robbed from the ones who are. Zuma may have helped a part of the country but he is the president of the entire country and it is his job to help everyone.
Zuma started off his presidency with high expectations for the country and for himself; and when he realized that he could not keep everyone one of those promises did he simply just give up? Zuma is still working like every president should when something doesn't go to plan. Just like the presidents before him, he made mistakes and hes trying to fix those mistakes and get his country back on its feet.
In relation to American Presidents, we have had some presidents who had made our country worse and try to fix it, but we also have had presidents that create so many new opportunities in such a short amount of time. Every president has similar goals when they get elected or running for president, they just want to accomplish them in different ways. And how are we supposed to know what will work and what won't until such president in put into office. Zuma is just trying to figure out the best ways to improve his country without completely destroying it.
Jacob Zuma, a man of power, a man of will, a man of strength, a man of South Africa. The current presidency of Jacob Zuma has caused a lot of different reactions among many different groups in South Africa. Several issues stem from he corruption charges raised against him, however the corruption charges highlight the flaws in his person, not in his role as president.
ReplyDeleteIn his inauguration speech, Zuma stated that he is a man who is committed to the “service [South Africa] with dedication, commitment, discipline, integrity, hard work, and passion.” While many politicians who are trying to instill hope may say something along those lines, Zuma was rightfully credited. During his presidency, Zuma has been the only president to address the issue of HIV/AIDs so drastically. Many accredit his success with the HIV/AIDs program due to his highly personal, consensus-building style. He has also taken a firm stance in stating his beliefs that teachers must be held accountable for whether or not they show up and do their jobs. A stance like this has never been fully acknowledged by a president before Zuma, and this acknowledgement came as no easy feat; by stating his stance, Zuma went against the beliefs of fellow ANC members. Most importantly, however, is the fact that Zuma instilled a sense of hope among the citizens of South Africa. This hope inspired people and gave them a new idea of just how great South Africa could be.
However, Jacob Zuma is full of lies. In his inauguration speech he promised job prosperity, democratic debate, and internal security, yet in the five years he has been in office he has not been able to do anything. It is said that he is focused more on ideals rather than on action, action that South Africa desperately needs. As further proof of Zuma’s lack of action, the poverty rates have risen as well as the unemployment rates. Clearly Zuma has spent more time investing in his own personal issues rather than public issues, because if he was not there would have been some noticeable change in the unemployment rate as well as the poverty rate.
Whether or not Jacob Zuma is a credible president remains to be a personal belief. However, his actions and lack there of speak heavily for themselves.
Sources:
nytimes.com “The promise and unfulfilled potential of South Africa’s president”
theconomist.com
Jacob Zuma’s inauguration speech
President Zuma was elected into office as the head representative of the ANC in 2009. Not only did he pose himself as a man of the people, but also he promised to bring the country equality and prosperity. In his inaugural speech, he planned to follow in the footsteps of Nelson Mandala-- arguably one of the most influential and beneficial men in South Africa. Looking back, they couldn’t differ more. He proclaimed to the people, “We gather here determined to renew that most solemn undertaking, to build a society in which all people are freed from the shackles of discrimination, exploitation, want and disease.” The inspirational words that Zuma showered onto the citizens of South Africa has not been close to fulfilled and just as many articles have written about, “it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months and even in the election in 2014.”
ReplyDeleteDiscrimination, violence, corruption and disease are rampant, in some areas-- even more so than they were in Apartheid. Just finishing the study on crime, we discovered that rates are dropping in some parts, but in others they’re just as high, if not higher than they were in the previous years. A president that speaks to his people about the betterment and well being of their livelihood should be able to at least bring down the violence by instilling some laws and tougher regulations.
He himself, a man suffering from HIV, was accused of rape, and is even a polygamist with 20 children. Foreign investing has been very difficult because many do not want to take part in dealing with Zumas personal relations. Personally, I believe that Jacob Zuma is not a man of his word, and his history of bribery and governmental corruption has only worsened his reputation with locals and westerners alike. Zuma is so disliked by the people that he was threatened removal from office. He has done so little to better the governmental system and the well being the population that a change in South Africa needs to be implemented before matters become even worse.
Some saw the election of Zuma as a beacon of hope from the “lack of leadership of the previous form of government under Thabo Mbeki,” although many believe that he was the direct opposite. Despite the current widespread unpopularity of Zuma, I must touch on what he has done to benefit South Africa as a whole, such as providing a base for improvement in the upcoming years, attempting to decrease the wealth gap, and working to improve civil rights. Zuma as well as all Post-Apartheid statesmen were given the impossibly difficult role to clean up a country that is so rich with culture yet so plagued with violence, discrimination and disparity. Zuma should not be the direct blame for the lack of improvement, although there are leaders that could definitely do a much better job in improving the country’s wellbeing. A change in presidents is very necessary at this point as his governing and lack of change is becoming stale.
http://mg.co.za/article/2012-11-06-racist-much-of-government-many-of-its-leaders
http://www.biography.com/people/jacob-zuma-262727
http://www.whoswho.co.za/jacob-zuma-927
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/2009/05/09/jacob-zumas-inauguration-speech-full-text/
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLike many other politicians, Jacob Zuma made promises that have not been fulfilled. However, being the president of South Africa is not exactly a piece of cake. With Nelson Mandela as the father figure of this party, the ANC has been viewed as almost the “liberator” of South Africa. As time has moved on, and with Zuma at the head of the party, the ANC has been losing popularity. The ANC is becoming more and more corrupt, and there are an increasing number of problems going unfixed.
ReplyDeleteWith his election, Jacob Zuma brought hope to the people of South Africa. Many South Africans called his inaugural speech “heart warming,” and said that they thought he might just be the perfect man to provide the changes that South Africa so desperately needs. His economic policy, for example, is at just the level of rigor for South Africa. Zuma stresses that everyone needs to work together, and work hard if South Africa is going to be a successful country. He has preached about a partnership between all South Africans, and said over and over that everyone deserves basic rights. The right of all South Africans to express themselves, the right to have a free media, and above all, the right to participate in the government.
All of these promises make him sound as if he would be the perfect leader of South Africa, and for a while, many people thought that Zuma would be a driving force behind a new South Africa. However, he fell “victim” to the corrupt ANC, and has spent more time on his close to $25 million home renovations than actually doing anything to solve the multitude of problems that South Africa is currently facing. All of these promises that he made in his inaugural speech have essentially been thrown in the waste bin. His meek attempts to eradicate corruption in the ANC have not worked at all. Corruption in the ANC has lead to catering to special interests. This creates an extremely wealthy black elite, and very little of their wealth trickles down to the rest of society. During Zuma’s time as president, the disparity between the rich and poor in South Africa has increased. As we can see in this country, and throughout history in general, a large gap between the rich an poor only leads to more crime and corruption.
When Zuma was first elected, his enthusiasm for the success of South Africa was very encouraging, but beneath the surface of all of these sparkling promises, there is nothing that is actually happening. An argument could be made for the fact that Zuma has only had one term as president, so he has not had time to put his policies and plans in place. However, I think it is becoming increasingly clear that Zuma may not the best person to be in a central position of power at a time when South Africa needs to make a turn in an upward direction.
Sources:
http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21564829-it-has-made-progress-becoming-full-democracy-1994-failure-leadership-means
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/2009/05/09/jacob-zumas-inauguration-speech-full-text/
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/z/jacob_g_zuma/index.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2216809/Jacob-Zuma-South-African-president-16m-private-home-upgrade.html
There is much controversy surrounding Jacob Zuma, current president of South Africa. In the past, Zuma has been with the ANC from its inception—being in prison with Mandela, and one of the firsts in the party to hold a major leadership position. Being part of the "liberator" party, Zuma has always been on the side favored by South Africa. However, the ANC is becoming more riddled with corruption and rocked by scandals, and Zuma's misdeeds are slowly being brought to light.
ReplyDeleteLike other politicians, Zuma has run on a platform that sounds promising, but is difficult to fulfill. He talks about, "for as long as there are South Africans who die from preventable disease;
for as long as there are workers who struggle to feed their families; for as long as there are communities without clean water, decent shelter or proper sanitation; for as long as there are rural dwellers unable to make a decent living from the land on which they live; for as long as there are women who are subjected to discrimination, exploitation or abuse; for as long as there are children who do not have the means nor the opportunity to receive a decent education; for as long as there are people who are unable to find work, we shall not rest, and we dare not falter." Its difficult to criticize the sincerity of these statements—Zuma, before being exposed to money, has always followed his ideals shaped by his rough beginnings. However, his words have not been transcribed into actions, and therein lies his, and ultimately South Africa's, problem.
However, Zuma has been entangled in his fair share of shady market deals and fraud charges. His own Financial Advisor, Schabir Shaik, was charged with 15 years of prison for soliciting bribes for none other than Zuma himself. Zuma has also been very aggressive towards his political opponents, often turning to criminal investigations to alienate and marginalize them. He even is suspected of fabricating "spy tapes" to escape his own criminal prosecution. However, with Zuma at the helm, South Africa has done little growing. The wealth gap continues to widen and job growth is only attributable to the established economy—meaning they are unaffected by Zuma's policies.
Zuma may once have been a man of great dreams, hopes, and fundamentals. However, he was inexperienced seeing and dealing with so much wealth and power, that when he got it, he turned sour. South Africa needs now, more than ever, a President who is disciplined, clean, and partial to all people, genders, and races. South Africa needs now, more than ever, a President who is informed, culturally sensitive, and capable. South Africa needs now, more than ever, a President not concerned about pandering votes or imagery within the country, but rather the critical social issues unattended to. South Africa needs a President who is not Jacob Zuma.
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/2009/05/09/jacob-zumas-inauguration-speech-full-text/
http://africanarguments.org/2012/02/10/south-africa-zumas-corruption-charges-linger-on-the-road-to-re-election/
http://www.biography.com/people/jacob-zuma-262727
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17442486
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/south-africa/121030/jacob-zuma-corruption-28-million-public-money-house
Jacob Zuma, born in 1942, is the current President of South Africa and is head of the ANC, South Africa’s governing political party. He entered politics in 1959, aligning himself with the newly arisen ANC and its anti-apartheid policies. He steadily gained political power and served at various executive positions in the organization over the years. In the present day, as South Africa continues to develop, the government and its responses to various obstacles to South African progress become more and more important. As Jacob Zuma is leading the ANC, his decisions will have a large impact on the direction the country takes. Zuma has the best chance as President to try and implement effective policies and lead the country in a better direction.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, in terms of international relations, Jacob Zuma has made some improvements, narrowing South Africa’s foreign focus to one that suited its needs much better than before. Zuma began to establish better relations with other sub-Saharan African countries, as shown by his relation-building visits to countries such as Angola, Mozambique, and Nigeria. Overall, Jacob Zuma seems to be more open to building longer-term relations with other African countries. Also, unlike his predecessor Thabo Mbeki, Zuma has not tried to solve complex problems in countries and regions with no real connection to South Africa, such as his attempt to mediate conflict in Cote d’Ivoire.
Domestically, Zuma has led a massive infrastructure project that looked to create new roads, rails, universities, and hospitals in several different regions of South Africa. Transportation infrastructure was marked for improvement in mineral producing regions, ports were to be linked by rail lines, increasing export capacity, dams were to be refurbished, and new funds for renewable energy research were to be allocated. Though large, this project looks like it will lead to substantial improvements throughout South Africa.
Zuma also seems to have made progress on his promise to help South African farmers. The South Africa government has established over 11,000 smallholder farms since 2009, with many more planned. Land redistribution for untended farmland previously owned by white farmers to black farmers has also been a stated goal, and Zuma has worked to rehabilitate this land in order to prepare it for future use. By expanding agriculture throughout South Africa, Zuma has helped support many poor rural areas and helped create jobs and bring economic activity.
While these are just a few of the policies Zuma supports, it still seems as if Zuma has not been one to take the most action while at the forefront of the South African government. Stories about various scandals he has been embroiled in throughout the years have come to define his character and political career, rather than his policies or any governmental actions he has taken while in power. Some ways in which Zuma has not been a good president are his careless statements about rape and HIV/AIDS, his involvement in various corruption scandals, and his inability to strongly deliver on the promises made during his inauguration speech. The first two especially come up quite a lot when one researches the name Jacob Zuma.
In all, information about Zuma’s policies and their effects on South Africa are hard to come by; it seems that he has not taken ownership of South Africa’s governmental policies, and which in turn makes it seem as if he has not been committed to trying to improve South Africa. He made many promises during his inauguration speech, perhaps too many, for it seems that he has had a hard time making them come true. Jacob Zuma, although he delivered a powerful speech full of hope, seems to lack the focus required to make a real difference in South Africa. To be considered a good president, I believe Jacob Zuma has to do a better job of finding ways to improve South Africa and avoid engaging in the questionable behaviors that get him caught in difficult scandals.
Jacob Zuma
ReplyDeleteJacob Zuma, the South African president, has had a very long and controversial political run. After assuming official power in 2009 he had already been on a wild political ride. In fact, Zuma had been the Deputy President of South Africa under the preceding leader, Thabo Mbeki, where he was involved in scandals and highly suspicious events.
There are several aspects of Zuma that make him an acceptable or appealing leader to some. Firstly, and perhaps most implicitly, he represents diversity and change in South Africa. Jacob Zuma is a Zulu himself. This is significant because it shows how South Africa has changed to be a more accepting place. In essence, Jacob Zuma is a symbol for the new committed and accepting South Africa. Although this is not a specific trait that makes him a good leader, it is a positive aspect of having him as a leader. Moreover, Zuma is a large advocate of anti-oppression. This is essential in a leader in South Africa, as oppression has clearly plagued the past. Jacob Zuma has also made it a priority to improve infrastructure in South Africa. In fact, a massive campaign to improve roads, hospitals, among other public works projects was started by Zuma. This had a positive effect on many people as many public places were greatly improved.
On the other hand, some have a much more negative view of Jacob Zuma’s presidency. One of the biggest aspects of President Zuma that make him unfit for leadership is his inability to be trusted. In fact, recently, President Zuma has spent an estimated 25 million on his private residence. This 25 million would have come straight out of the government and thus the taxpayers. Selfish actions like this one, among other unpredictable events such as the rape of a young girl make Zuma an unpredictable and un-trustworthy leader. Moreover, Jacob Zuma has not had a positive effect on wealth disparity in South Africa. As evidenced by the poverty line and rampant crime, wealth disparity is a capital issue in South Africa. Jacob Zuma has done nothing to bridge this gap. In fact, the gap between the wealthy and poor has become even wider under Zuma’s administration. Although controlling crime and providing a stable place for foreign investment is a difficult feat, there have been little to no positive strides in controlling crime under President Zuma. Zuma has not had any effect on one of the other biggest issues in South Africa, crime. The fact, that Zuma has failed to act effectively on an issue as prevalent as crime is very troubling.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/z/jacob_g_zuma/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Zuma#Political_positions
http://allafrica.com/stories/201210220755.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8555697.stm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/9653920/Jacob-Zuma-backs-traditional-courts-instead-of-white-mans-way.html
Jacob Zuma, aside from his rape and corruption charges, has done a decent job as President of the ANC in maintaining the Rainbow Nation of South Africa. In response to the Marikana miners’ strike, he’s declared that executives in the public and private sector need to cease any further increase to their own salaries in order to “normalise” pay towards the workers. As of October 30, 2012, South Africa under Zuma’s jurisdiction has seen a vast increase of readily available resources, with nine out of ten homes having access to clean, piped water, and 73% of households using electricity to cook regularly (versus the 45% of homes in 1996). As a means of making those in more rural districts more comfortable with the presiding local governments, Zuma has proposed his Traditional Courts Bill, which allows the local chieftains to have more say in government, specifically in terms of charging criminal perpetrators with an appropriate punishment.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there have been disadvantages to Zuma’s influence, as well. The Traditional Courts Bill allows tribal chieftains to mete out punishments including “manual labour and fines of sheep, cattle, and food.” It also allows for punishments to include to revocation of land, effectively leaving the perpetrator homeless and starving. The seemingly autocratic rule given to the chieftains in local government matters may allow for corrupt decisions to be made more easily at the local level. Zuma has also allocated $27 million in government funds to the renovation of his private estate. Some modifications include a helicopter landing pad, tennis court, and soccer field, and plans have been made for a sports stadium and several underground bunkers.
An issue Zuma has had some severe trouble with is the HIV/AIDS controversy. After taking heavy flak for having made comments on taking a shower to effectively rid himself of the disease, Zuma has tried taking a head-on approach in tackling the disease. Though Zuma’s plan was able to increase the output of vital anti-retroviral drugs, the occurrence of HIV/AIDS have increased more than twofold, rising from 678,500 to 1.5 million occurrences. Ironically, Zuma’s formerly lax stance on the syndrome was in direct contradiction with his inauguration speech: “For as long as there are South Africans who die from preventable disease … we shall not rest, and we dare not falter.” Yet falter he did, in both approaching the problem too late, and proving his ignorance of the disease with his “shower” comments.
Though Zuma may be attempting to maintain his beloved Rainbow Nation, the country is still stained with corruption, economic disparities, and a rising HIV/AIDS rate. The ANC must try its best to make sure the Rainbow Nation does not become the product of a morally corrosive acid rain.
Sources:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/z/jacob_g_zuma/index.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/9653920/Jacob-Zuma-backs-traditional-courts-instead-of-white-mans-way.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/18/jacob-zuma-south-africa-freeze-pay
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/safrica-census-data-show-progress-poverty-17596759#.UJni9EbSiVY
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17450447
Jacob Zuma is the current president of South Africa, belonging to the political party known as the ANC. The ANC has reigned as South Africa’s dominating force in politics since the end of apartheid. Zuma was elected president in 2009 by parliament.
ReplyDeleteZuma has used over 37 million dollars of government money in upgrading his personal compound. His obnoxious residence includes 12 separate buildings, a helicopter landing pad, a tennis court, a soccer field, an advanced security system, and even a sports stadium , and underground bunkers are on the way. Zuma states that his family is responsible for the 27 million dollar upgrades and he had no idea what was going on, essentially making it ok. The department of public works claims that the 27 million dollar upgrades were solely for security purposes, again alleviating the responsibility from Zuma. The fact that the leader of a country can spend tens of millions of dollars on his own residence when 23% of the country is below the poverty line (as of 2006) is absolutely absurd. This reason alone discredits him completely and makes him unfit as the president of South Africa.
Although evidently slippery, President Zuma is quite charismatic in the eye of his people, especially to those promised change after apartheid. His humble beginnings equate to the peoples perception of him. He uses the facts that he taught himself to read and write and his past as a guerrilla fighter to his advantage. Although he does appeal to a vast amount of South Africans, his actually presidency has proven to be worse for the nation. Under his rule the gap between the rich and the poor has enlarged while crime high crime rates cruise along at a nearly consistent pace.
Zuma is not all bad. He has led a sort of attack on AIDS. In May 2010 he publicly stated that he had been circumcised. Circumcision can reduce a man’s chance of contracting HIV by over 50 percent, so, through this personal endorsement, Zuma is attempting to be an example in the prevention of AIDS. This is definitely an improvement upon his 2006 statement that taking a shower after sex can greatly reduce the likelihood of getting HIV.
In his inauguration speech he repeats the phrase, “For as long as there are South Africans who die from preventable disease” inserting a different issue in South Africa i.e. clean water, poverty, discrimination, AIDS, education, lack of jobs every time. and ending the series with “we shall not rest, and we dare not falter.” He essentially lays out the core issues in South Africa without provide any sort of real solutions, only stating that “we shall not rest” and “dare not falter.” He lays out all these empty promises easily wooing uneducated citizens to support his presidency. Zuma seems to be getting plenty of rest in his 37 million dollar estate.
What keeps Zuma in office is his extraordinary charisma. He takes pride in his Zulu roots, he fought against oppression during apartheid and he has made an attempt, although weak, to eradicate AIDS. Behind the facade, though, he is in fact hurting the promising nation of South Africa. He promises to never rest or faltar when attacking South Africa’s issues but he has gotten almost nothing done. He is ridden with empty promises, greed and corruption.
Sources:
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/2009/05/09/jacob-zumas-inauguration-speech-full-text/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17450447
http://www.biography.com/people/jacob-zuma-262727?page=3
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4879822.stm
http://data.worldbank.org/country/south-africa
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/15/world/africa/15zuma.html?_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/world/africa/08safrica.html?ref=jacobgzuma
Zuma came into his presidency with a view of a hopeful future based upon the success of the leaders of the past. In his inaugural speech Zuma addressed various aspects of the government that he wanted to continue during his time in office – especially highlighting equality for all. As Zuma created this reputation for himself he was therefore less inclined to keep up what he promised, because he already won the countries vote.
ReplyDeleteAlong with Zuma’s ignorance regarding sleeping with an HIV/AID positive girl and thinking that a simple shower would cure him of the virus, he has had some more absurd views towards a President’s role in government. Zuma took part in a militant group supported by the ANC, which promoted destruction against the government. He eventually learned that this was not an acceptable behavior as a President and ultimately degrading his own power. He was soon punished where he was sentenced to ten years on Robben Island. Zuma had also been a part of various frauds and scandals dealing with the government and the people’s money. He has also been caught in continual lies, and has lost respect as a leader in the eyes of the South Africans.
Although Zuma also created an even larger gap between the rich and the poor, he is still popular because of his beliefs against apartheid and racial segregation. South Africa obviously cares that their political leader values equality more than have a moral and ethical code. Zuma’s good intentions have played a part in creating infrastructure for SA but also his dedication to the ANC. Zuma never learned to combat the problems but rather he avoided them at all costs. Although he came from humble beginnings and overcame struggles, this does not mean that he can use his power for his own benefit or make promises that he cannot keep.
Sources:
http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21564829-it-has-made-progress-becoming-full-democracy-1994-failure-leadership-means
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17450447
http://www.whoswho.co.za/jacob-zuma-927
In his inaugural address, Zuma promised that he would help countries ailing education system and unemployment. But he has failed to make any real progress. Zuma has spent 5-7% of its GDP on education, although “only 15% of 12-year-olds (sixth graders) scored at or above the minimum proficiency on the language test. In maths just 12% did." This correlates directly with the fact that there is a 40% unemployment rate, even though there are over 95,000 unfilled nursing jobs. Zuma also states “To achieve all our goals, we must hold ourselves to the highest standards of service, probity and integrity.”, but at the same time crime rates have been on the rise all over south africa.
ReplyDeleteOne of the few promises that Zuma has kept from his inaugural address was: “We will promote international friendship and cooperation through amongst others the 2010 FIFA World Cup. South Africa will deliver a world class event that will forever change the perceptions of the international community, and also ensure a lasting legacy for the people of Africa.” The FIFA world cup of 2010 was a world class event that changed africa for the better and proves that zuma was able to keep some of his promises. Another good thing Zuma has done is he promised to help lower the poverty rate and it worked. “Between 1996 and 2010 the proportion living on less than $2 a day fell from 12% to 5%.” Also, Zuma set up a distressed companies fund and mobilise the social partners at Nedlac and the country at large around a coordinated national response to the financial crisis.
Although Some may say Zuma was dealt a bad hand, it is clear that he has done some good for South Africa, but it does not outway the bad.
Sources:
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/2009/05/09/jacob-zumas-inauguration-speech-full-text/
http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21564829-it-has-made-progress-becoming-full-democracy-1994-failure-leadership-means
http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/columnists/2012/04/05/president-zuma-doing-an-impeccable-job
There is no doubt that Jacob Zuma is not the perfect president. No politician is ever perfect; even the most revered are flawed. Jacob Zuma became president of a country that desperately wanted (and still wants) to create a world in which people have liberties and can live in prosperity. South Africa was, at the time of his inauguration, far from the being that which it wanted to be. The values of the country were masked by the crime and poverty it experienced (and still are).
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Zuma had good intentions as the new president of South Africa. Like the other democratic presidents of South Africa, Zuma sought to push his country towards westernization. Like the other presidents, Zuma wanted to free the people from the “shackles of discrimination, exploitation, want and disease” (as stated in his inaugural address).
Yes, South Africa is (debatably) economically stronger than it was a few years ago. Yes, for the most part, the crime rates in South Africa are on the downfall. Yes, Zuma, a freedom fighter imprisoned during Apartheid that discourages oppression (unlike the politicians of the ANC’s main opponent, the DA) seems like a good leader for the rainbow nation. Yes, under ANC rule, the “poor South Africans have benefitted from social grants, the working class from the party’s pro-labour stance and the power of the unions, and the middle and upper classes from its policy of ‘black economic empowerment’” (according to The Economist).
However, Zuma has failed to carry out his intentions set forth upon his inauguration. It is not entirely Zuma’s fault, for Zuma was indeed “dealt a bad hand” upon assuming command of South Africa, but discrimination is still very much prevalent in South Africa. The impoverished are discriminated against by the wealthy; the citizens of the townships are discriminated against by people that were their neighbors under apartheid rule. Despite some improvements in the healthcare system, Zuma’s disregard for the dangers of HIV and AIDS, as demonstrated by his opinion that all traces of infection could be removed by a simple shower, has created a society in which contraction of HIV is not feared to the extent it should be, and therefore more and more people are affected by the disease. Zuma stated that he wanted his people to be free of exploitation, and yet he was accused of rape and corruption. Zuma and the ANC are willing to send “parcels of food” into the townships just days before elections, and yet Zuma has been unable to thoroughly aid the “workers who struggle to feed their families,” as he said he would in his inaugural address. The education system, deemed an area of focus for the ANC by Zuma, has observed few improvements and is still, for the most part, ineffective.
It is easy to blame Zuma for South Africa’s issues, but one must remember that the state was nowhere near perfect before his inauguration and that to expect one man to fix all of the nation’s issues in a few short years is entirely unrealistic. In my opinion, Jacob Zuma is not a very good president at all, but at the same time, I know that he did not create South Africa’s issues. I cannot ignore Zuma’s ignorance with regards to contraction of HIV/AIDS. A leader of a democratic nation should not feed its people false information that is detrimental to society. Some dictators may get away with doing so, but in a nation that is striving to become more and more a developed economic powerhouse, this is unacceptable.
“Over the rainbow.” The Economist 20 Oct 2012: 22-24. Print.
Hartley, Ray. “Jacob Zuma’s inauguration speech.” Times Live. 9 May 2009. Web. 6 Nov 2012.
Jacob Zuma was born April 12, 1942 in Inkandla, KwaZulu-Natal Province. His father died when he was very young and was raised by only his mother. To help his mother bring in money, he would get small jobs, starting as a teenager. Early in his adult life, Zuma spent ten years on Robben Island in prison along with a few other men for planning to destroy the current government (ANC). After serving his term in prison, he spent 12 years in both Mozambique and Swaziland. While traveling through Africa and visiting different countries, Zuma attempted to become part of the ANC, which is interesting given what he was arrested for a little more than a decade before this. By the 70’s, Zuma became apart of the ANC National Executive Committee. In 2007, he beat the then current president and friend, Thabo Mbeki, and was elected President.
ReplyDeleteOne of the ways Zuma has been successful, is simply the fact that he can make a life out of having a profession that requires someone to be intelligent, while having very little education. In fact, he was forced to teach himself to read and write because he did not have time to attend school while he worked all through his childhood. However, although he was able to have achieve his goal, he frequently does not make the best decisions with the power that he has. It has been said that $27 million of government money has been spent to upgrade Zuma’s home and area around it. Although he describes himself as “the people’s person,” because as a child he had to live a life similar to hardworking, poorer citizens, he now lives like a king in his mansion surrounded by perfectly paved streets and nicely trimmed foliage. He stole directly from all of the people he claims to be helping and representing to fulfill his own wants and desires.
Aside from his rape scandal and arguably immoral actions, Zuma has surely attempted to boost spirit for change in South Africa. He claims to know what he is doing, when in reality he still believes in childish fantasies and myths. However, the way Zuma is able to gather the vote among the South African people is a combination of a few reasons. Zuma is originally from a Zulu tribe, and portrays himself as a typical South African man like any of the other voters. He also emphasizes his “anti-apartheid” perspective which, to people who are unfamiliar with the politics, gives Zuma the automatic vote by black voters. Also, because the ANC is already in control, they make it easier for the ANC to continue ruling.
Unfortunately, the focus has been so much on making sure that South Africa is not under apartheid-style rule that the actual bettering of the country has been decreasing. Although Zuma may be able to convince and persuade people, he is not able to put any plans into action that he promised when he was elected that better society and benefit the people.
http://www.biography.com/people/jacob-zuma/262727
http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=420&lang=en
http://www.saembbankok.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=61
http://blogs.timslive.co.za/hartley/2009/05/09/jacob-zumas-inauguration-speech-full-text/
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/z/jacob_g_zuma/index.html
With his inauguration speech, Zuma painted a realistic portrait of South Africa, and the struggles the country faced. What was not a true were his promises. He speaks of "eradicating global poverty, strengthening peace and security, and to promote democracy", and the unity of SOuth Africa. It is these promises and dream are remain as much- pipe dreams. Just reading his speech, he seems like a logical guy that knows what he's talking about and could be good for the country.
ReplyDeleteZuma came at the right time for a desperate country- this allowed Zuma to win over such a large majority with incredibly empty promises. These promises that once gave the South African people hope has now driven South Africa into a bigger hole than ever before. In 2010, Zuma pledged to create a youth wage subsidy and called it the "year of the job". This has turned into the unemployment going from 107,000 to over 4.2 million. This jump is so incredibly insane, and shows just how empty his promises are.
Along with an increase in jobs, Zuma promised to decrease or end political corruption on all levels. Instead, the country has dropped over 20 places in the Transparency International Index in 2011.
The ANC government has deviated so far from it's original message under Mandela that it's unrecognizable- corruption and money reign, and Zuma is the perfect embodiment of that. He makes empty promises, contradicts his own previous speeches, and altogether has placed his interests above that of his peoples.
Jacob Zuma is the current president of South Africa and the head of the ANC. He provides much needed morale to the country of South Africa. However, he is not the most decisive leader. Also, some of his policies seem to be ignorant of logic.
ReplyDeleteHis most controversial incident was when he raped a young woman who had the HIV virus. He claimed to have vaccinated himself by taking a shower afterwards. Although this does not make him a bad President, it shows that common decency and medical knowledge may not be present in his mind.
He did make a good decision by forcing CEOs of mining companies to freeze their pay until the strike was over. This action showed how he has the ability to solve pressing issues, which is an important virtue for a President to attain.
One of his not-so-effective policies relates to the judicial system. He believes in solving problems “the African way, not the white man’s way”. This system does not work and the proof is in the pudding. South Africa has the highest crime rates of any other sovereign nation as a result of this.
Above all else, Jacob Zuma promotes equality for all. Zuma would be the perfect President for South Africa if he were able to take control of the crime situation and help decrease the disparity between the rich and poor.
Overview
Three reasons why he is a good President:
-Provides morale
-Helps solve issues swiftly
-Equality for all
Three reasons why he is a bad President:
-Not decent, and lacks common knowledge
-Poor economic policies
-Failing judicial system (the reason for the rampant crime in South Africa)
Sources
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/18/jacob-zuma-south-africa-freeze-pay
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/9653920/Jacob-Zuma-backs-traditional-courts-instead-of-white-mans-way.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17450447
President Jacob Zuma is a very interesting man. Taking control of the presidency over incumbent Thabo Mbeki, Zuma was voted in with exuberance. He appealed greatly to black South Africans, many of whom identified with the challenges he had faced in his life and admired him for it. He grew up destitute, raised by a single mother who had to care for both him and his two brothers. Zuma had never received any formal schooling. Developing an interest in politics, he joined the ANC at an early age. When the South African government banned the ANC in 1961, Zuma turned elsewhere, ending up in the Umkhonto we Sizwe. Taking a prominent role in many demonstrations, Zuma was eventually charged with attempting to overthrow the Apartheid government, and tossed in jail. During his 10 year sentence on Robben Island, he befriended numerous (former) ANC leaders, Nelson Mandela among them. Further inspired by their cause, Zuma involved himself heavily in the ANC, coordinating protests and organizing other South African exiles in camps across Africa. After Apartheid ended, Zuma was one of the first exiled South African ANC members to make his way back into the country, and served many important roles in creating a functional post-apartheid government.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Jacob Zuma seems like he would be an excellent candidate for President of South Africa, his actions says otherwise. Despite having an impressive past, Jacob Zuma fails largely as president of South Africa. In his inaugural speech to the South African people, Zuma makes several empty promises on which he has yet to deliver. The most blatant of his lies is that he will “dare not falter” until unemployment has ended. Whether he truly meant this statement or not, South Africa’s staggering unemployment rate of around 25% has not changed (in fact, it has slightly increased) since Zuma has taken office. Another of Zuma’s promises to his constituents was to have integrity in office. In a country so ravaged by corrupt, unfeeling government officials, the promise of a trustworthy, honorable President must have seemed like a miracle. Zuma, however, has been accused of numerous cases of fraud, corruption, and even rape – doesn’t exactly sound like the life of a man of integrity. Zuma’s promises to reform the education system that left him so lacking are also seemingly a lie. Whether it is the economy that stymies Zuma’s educational reform, or a lack of willingness on his part, South Africa’s public education system is largely broken.
Zuma is not entirely bad, however. He is a much more direct president than Mbeki, engaging directly in dialogues with his supporters and opponents. He is trying to turn South Africa’s economy around, and although his efforts have so far ben ineffective, it’s better than nothing. I believe the best course of action for South Africa is to either elect another party to run the country in the upcoming 2014 elections, or force the ANC to come up with another candidate besides Zuma. Although there could be worse leaders for South Africa than Jacob Zuma, he isn’t much better.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/world/africa/08safrica.html?ref=jacobgzuma
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17450447
http://www.biography.com/people/jacob-zuma/262727
http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21564829-it-has-made-progress-becoming-full-democracy-1994-failure-leadership-means
Plain and simple – Jacob Zuma is an unethical, fraudulent, and irresponsible spendthrift who is not fit to run a country let along a convenient store. I apologize for my harsh tone, but I simply have no respect for a man who uses $28 million dollars of tax payer money to renovate and refurbish his household. Whether this number was $28 or $28 billion, no man should be spending his people’s money when a) over 25.5% of South Africans are unemployed b) South Africa is regarded as the “rape capital of the world” c) 45 or more people are murdered in South Africa each day.
ReplyDeleteMr. Zuma promised “a society in which all people are freed from the shackles of discrimination, exploitation, want and disease.” As of the year 2012, the people of South Africa are still bound by the shackles of discrimination, exploitation, want and disease. Though on the surface it may seem that South Africa has done away with all the apartheid laws, an ongoing economic apartheid still weaves its way through the townships and the suburbs. In regards to exploitation, there is not much to say when 1 in 4 South African men claim to have raped a woman. And along the lines of want and disease, South Africans want a better future but cannot live to see the day since less than 6% of South Africans are 65 years and over. One more thing on disease, South Africa has the highest percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS out of any other country in the world. Over 5,600,000 people are HIV/AIDS positive and yet the president has the audacity to tell his people that showering after sexual intercourse with an HIV/AIDS positive woman will protect you from the disease. I don’t know what’s worse than listening to the president of South Africa, who was tried for rape and has had five wives, give illogical and idiotic advice on preventing HIV/AIDS. How does one have the decency to be on a government AIDS council and then sleep with an HIV/AIDS positive woman without a condom? May God have mercy on this poor soul.
As much as I would like to give credit Mr. Zuma credit for his work, I simply cannot bring myself to appreciating the life of a man who doesn’t deserve the light of day. An ANC Youth League Leader called Jacob Zuma an “embarrassment” to his country who needs to be removed from the ANC at once. I not only wholeheartedly agree with the Julius Malema, but I think he should be extradited out of his own country. I do believe that Zuma empowers many South Africans, preaches equality for all, and attempts to solve South Africa’s problems. I also believe that while he empowers many South Africans, he can do so much more. And while he preaches equality for all, he does not practice it. And while he attempts to solve South Africa’s problems, he hasn't fixed any of them.
I must deliver one last blow below Mr. Jacob Zuma’s waistline. Now I know Mr. Zuma likes to play by his own rules in South Africa, but if he were in the United States of America, this man would be in prison for life. I am referring to when Mr. Zuma’s financial advisor, Schabir Shaik, who was found guilty of disorderly conduct, fraud, and corruption. If the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 was implemented in Mr. Zuma’s case, he would most likely be spending his time with a bunch of men behind bars rather than his vides behind the confines of his household. Since Zuma did not need to take accontabilty for his financial advisors actions, Zuma was aquitted of all charges. If Zuma was the CEO of a company in the United States and the year was after 2002, Zuma would have had to sign his name on every financial document to take accountability for the company rather than turning a blind eye to the CFO. The Enron scandal is arguably the most infamous which was one of the driving reasons behind the SOX Act to prevent the loss of billions of dollars.
ReplyDeleteAll and all, Zuma is simply another corrupt African politician who reaps the benefits of his job and takes advantage of the poor at every opportunity he can. When Zuma decides to educate his people about HIV/AIDS, live a monogamous lifestyle, sell his house and give all the money to those in need, and step down from the ANC, South Africa will be in a much better position to grow and develop as a country.
http://www.malawivoice.com/2012/08/08/jacob-zuma-is-an-embarrassment-malema-94896/
http://www.avert.org/aidssouthafrica.htm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos//sf.html
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/south-africa/unemployment-rate
http://www.leader.co.za/article.aspx?s=1&f=1&a=2893
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/south-africa/121030/jacob-zuma-corruption-28-million-public-money-house
http://www.soxlaw.com/
Jacob Zuma was born on April 12, 1942 in Zululand. His father was a policeman. He received no formal education. He joined the ANC in 1959. He has a lot of controversy around him regarding a rape charge and corruption charges. He became president of South Africa in the 2009 general election.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways he can be seen as a successful president. One reason why he is successful is that he is charismatic and is so popular among many people. This is partially due to his poor upbringings, which many south Africans can connect to. He has tried to resolve the issue of the wealth gap between the rich and the poor (with little success). Jacob Zuma has made steps in the fight against AIDS/ HIV which effects 10% of south Africans. “He announced a major overhaul to the country's Aids policy in December 2010 - this has seen a drastic increase of the roll-out of life-saving anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs. Under President Zuma's new policy, the number of HIV-positive people getting drugs has more than doubled from 678,500 to 1.5 million.”
However, there seems to be many more downsides to Mr. Zuma’s presidency. His policies have not done much to help South Africa, as can be seen by the “failing education system, staggering levels of joblessness and the widening chasm between rich and poor….The ranks of the jobless have grown by more than a million in the past year and a half, and South Africa, population 49 million, already had among the highest rates of chronic unemployment in the world.” This is not to mention the previous corruption charges, suspiciously dropped just a week before he became president. Because of his history, Zuma is not someone that should be easily trusted. Also, The judicial system is failing and crime is rampant. Zuma chooses to let legal matters to be settled the “African way” with village courts and tribal chiefs, instead of a central, government regulated judicial system. The Marikana Massacre of protesting mine workers on august 16th, “the country's bloodiest incident since the end of apartheid”, is evidence of the declining situation in South Africa and proof the Zuma’s presidency has not improved South Africa’s situation.
In his inauguration speech he said: “We must safeguard the independence and integrity of those institutions tasked with the defense of democracy, and that must act as a check on the abuse of power.” This is coming from a man who has faced corruption charges. Quite hypocritical, if you ask me. He also promised : “Everything we do must contribute in a direct and meaningful way to the improvement of the lives of our people.” But not many improvements have been made. In general, Zuma has failed in delivering on his promises that he has made.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Zuma
http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=420&lang=en
http://www.biography.com/people/jacob-zuma-262727
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/2009/05/09/jacob-zumas-inauguration-speech-full-text/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17450447
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/9653920/Jacob-Zuma-backs-traditional-courts-instead-of-white-mans-way.html
South Africa’s current president, Jacob Zuma, is an icon of twenty-first century South Africa. Born out of poverty, Zuma is seen by many in South Africa as a man of the people. Zuma is an incredibly charismatic figure, which has allowed him to maintain his popularity even in the face of various political scandals and failed policies. On the global economic stage, however, charisma and popularity do not count for much, leading many to believe that he is incapable of leading South Africa into the twenty-first century.
ReplyDeleteBefore the 2009 election in South Africa, many viewed Zuma as the next Nelson Mandela. Able to inspire South Africans on all levels of society, he seemed to be a leader that would be able to unite a country whose parts have never been able to truly fit together. Zuma’s history of resisting the apartheid government and his upbringing in poverty made him a beacon of hope for those less fortunate in South Africa. As time past, however, it became clear that Zuma was not the next Mandela that everyone had been expecting.
While Zuma has had some successful policies, such as his overhaul of South Africa’s HIV program, for the most part Zuma has been a political boondoggle. Zuma has failed to reduce the income disparity in South Africa despite the fact that he ran for office on left-wing platforms. Zuma is viewed by many as a hypocrite, seeing that he has failing to accomplish the goal he promised to solve. Zuma has also shown that he does not have a very keen interest in upholding the principles of the “new” South Africa created by Mandela. Zuma has a hard line stance against same-sex marriage saying that in his youth he would physically harm a homosexual if he ever saw one. Zuma’s suggested solution to the problem of teen pregnancy would be to take the mother’s baby away, a clear violation of South Africa’s constitutional rights. Zuma has also stated that Afrikaners are the only “true’ white South Africans, a surprising statement coming from a man who supposedly fought for freedom and equality under the apartheid regime. In regards to the issue of corruption within the SAPS, Zuma responded by saying that “ you cannot put the trust of the community to a person who is actually a criminal.” Encouraging words considering that crime and law enforcing is the biggest issue facing South Africa to date.
What is most startling are Zuma’s comments regarding minority rights. Zuma stated that it is a basic principle of democracy that minorities should have less rights. This statement undermines everything the ANC has fought for since the beginning of its creation. For the leader of an organization that was created to bring equality to all South Africans, to say such a thing is incredibly disturbing. If South Africa is truly to become the beacon of democracy and progress in Sub-Saharan Africa, it cannot have a president like Jacob Zuma, else South Africa will become a quagmire like Nigeria.
Jacob Zuma took to the head of the ANC when his party won the 2009 general election. Elected by parliament, Jacob Zuma has lead South Africa and the ANC ever since. Before his terms as President, Zuma served as the Deputy President of South Africa under Thabo Mbeki. It was from this position that Zuma began his march to the Presidency. While he was Deputy President, Zuma faced harrowing charges of corruption but managed to escape unscathed in the long run. Zuma was arrested in 1959 under apartheid for conspiring to overthrow the government, but returned in 1990 when the ban on the ANC was lifted. In this way, Zuma is a political hero having worked with those in the ANC that helped bring change to South Africa.
ReplyDeleteWhile Zuma may catch a lot of flak for his extracurricular activities, he has made progress in South Africa. Zuma has improved the countries foreign relations, seeking to forge new and stronger bonds that will benefit the republic for years to come. He has made several trips to nearby countries such as Nigeria and Angola and hopes to see his progress continue into the future. Within South Africa Zuma has promised to improve the standard of living for all its citizens, and has attempted to follow through on this promise by creating large infrastructure projects, intended to give the country what it needs to be the best nation on the African continent.
Zuma promised much during his inaugural speech, but don’t all presidents? An optimistic view is better than one of pessimism, even in politics. Zuma may not have followed through on all of his plans to make South Africa the economic and political powerhouse, yet he has not remained stagnant. Many people criticize Zuma because they look at what he has not yet accomplished, not what he has already accomplished. Zuma has worked to create thousands of jobs for poor South Africans by subsidizing the country’s farming industry and improving infrastructure in mineral rich regions.
Jacob Zuma may not be the most selfless man in South Africa, however he works to uphold the ideals of the ANC, values that will keep the country together. It is true that Zuma may deal in corruption of some form or another, but we must take the good with the bad. Perhaps it is time for a change in South Africa’s leadership, but Zuma’s presidency should not be looked at as a disaster. It should be view as a stepping stone, a piece of the puzzle of progression that will help to make South Africa strong.
In his 2009 inauguration speech, Jacob Zuma asserted that South Africa is in a “moment of renewal.” With this promising phrase as his theme, Zuma spins an inspiring speech, reviewing South Africa’s past leaders and their great accomplishments, as well as outlining Zuma’s plans for and commitments to South Africa’s future. Though his speech sounds promising, as time has passed, it has proven to be chock-full of misleading commitments.
ReplyDeleteGiven that Zuma began his Presidency with an imperfect country, he has followed through on some of his promises, albeit, the less hard-hitting ones. In his inaugural address, he promised that for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, “South Africa will deliver a world class event.” He has also put efforts towards bettering the country’s education. South Africa spends 6.7% of its GDP on education. This is a considerably high rate, higher than both Brazil and the U.S. Zuma also possesses the important leadership skill of public speech. He is an inspiring public speaker, and although he may not compose his own speeches, he delivers them with conviction.
Despite some of his upheld promises, for every cause for celebration, Zuma deals out multiple disappointments. Most hypocritically, Zuma asserts in his inaugural address that “for as long as there are women who are subjected to discrimination, exploitation or abuse […] we shall not rest.” Zuma’s rape charges beg to differ. And what better way to lead a country than by example? In following the country’s amoral President, South Africa has an unfathomably high rape rate. The majority of Zuma’s assertion that “I commit myself to the service of our nation with dedication, commitment, discipline, integrity, hard work and passion” has proven to be entirely false. Zuma has commit himself to neither integrity nor discipline, frequently involving himself in back-alley displays of corruption.
Jacob Zuma became president of South Africa in a difficult time. He promised the people lots of good, but he was never able to keep those promises. Zuma was trying to fill Nelson Mandela’s shoes by the, “ promise that ‘never, never and never again’ would this land experience the oppression of one by another. ” His intentions were to make sure South Africa was taking two steps forward. As his leadership went on he was not able to keep the promises about education and poverty. Zuma has tried but he has never taken that second step forward.
ReplyDeleteZuma has the countries best interest at heart and wants to do well for the country, but has not. He has helped with decreasing the wealth gap, trying to help with civil rights, and just benefiting South Africa. He has moved away from Apartheid and done his best to make it more equal even if it has not been entirely affective. He has also has been corrupt, and been put on trial several times for rape and illegal business. Although Zuma is seen to the public in a negative view he is trying his best to lead the country in the right direction.
Zuma is trying to lead the country, but with most leaders comes corruption. He has high expectations for the country and of himself but is not able to uphold them. He is still trying to improve the country but has lost the inspiration he had when he started.
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ReplyDeleteJacob Zuma, whose full name is Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma. He was born on April 12, 1942. Jacob Zuma joined the ANC in 1959. He was arrested in1963 and be sentenced to 10 years for inspiring to overthrow the apartheid. I understand why Jacob Zuma against the apartheid, he is a black person, I think he always stand for his own race which is the weakest race in the world. Despite his brave actions for against the apartheid, he is not a good president.
ReplyDeleteMr. Zuma has married six times and has 22 children already; he is proud of his Zulu tradition which is good for himself, but the polygyny is highly against the world’s moral now, he shouldn’t against the moral. He is a black person and he hates apartheid, but he also a kind of racist, because he said ““Because if you are an African, you cannot be a white” which is against his own promise about unity this whole country, his words push white people out of the society. Also, he claimed “no change in economic policies.” But recent years, South Africa’s GDP rate is going slowly, and about 2009, the growth rate even dropped to -6.3%. On 13 June 2012, Jacob Zuma appointed three other new deputy ministers in Gratitude Magwanishe (public enterprises), Hlengiwe Mkhize (economic development), and Mduduzi Manana (higher education and training) and several changes. I think Mr. Zuma is trying to be a good president and he wants to get the economy going. For this point, of course we need highly encourage Mr. Zuma for announcing the changes he made.
Thanks to his arrangement, at least nine out of 10 South African households have access to piped water and that 73 percent of them use electricity to cook, up from 45 percent in 1996. In conclusion, the only good thing I have seen is he tried to bring up the economy, the rest of things he has done are unacceptable. Let’s hope the new ministers can bring up the South Africa’s economy and Zuma can act better to be a good president as long as he is in charge.
sources:
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/south-africa/gdp-growth
http://www.dinnerwithmugabe.com/Columns/Seeing_zuma.html
http://www.southafrica.info/about/government/cabinet-130612.htm#.UJqzshIj5Ow
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/safrica-census-data-show-progress-poverty-17596759#.UJq7FRIj5Ox
President Jacob Zuma took position as leader of the ANC in South Africa in 2009. In his Inaugural speech, he stated that he would “commit [himself] to the service of our nation with dedication, commitment, discipline, integrity, hard work and passion.” When Zuma was first elected, he brought hope and promise to many of his people. Sense this time, Zuma has done little to better the lives of the South African people. Charged with corruption and rape, Jacob Zuma has had many challenges during his time as president. During his inaugural speech, he said the following: “The dreams and hopes of all the people of our country must be fulfilled. There is no place for complacency, no place for cynicism, no place for excuses. Everything we do must contribute in a direct and meaningful way to the improvement of the lives of our people.” Jacob Zuma wants real change in South Africa, but with problems such as crime, poverty, and disease overwhelming the country, it is hard to begin diving into solutions. A BBC article stated that Zuma supporters think, “His charismatic popular touch is a refreshing contrast to former President Thabo Mbeki”. Zuma’s story of growing up in poverty with no official schooling is what makes him such a relatable and popular leader to the South African people. Not only do people identify with Zuma, but, according to the BBC, he also managed to “steer the country out of its first recession for 17 years” without changing South Africa’s economic policy. Although he is very relatable to the common South African and has slightly improved the wealth gap and economic state of the country, I still do not believe he is the kind of president that South Africa needs. Yes, he has made the news for many controversial issues, but his biggest issue is that in the past three years, he has done little to help the well being of the South African people. In his inauguration speech, President Zuma said, “all people are freed from the shackles of discrimination, exploitation, want and disease.” With Jacob Zuma himself having been involved in rape when it is such a monstrous issue in the country, and doing nothing to combat the growing problem of HIV/AIDS in the country, his actions have not exactly screamed hope and promise. His accusation of corruption is another worry for South Africa. The issue of corruption in a government is a detrimental issue in many African countries, and it would be devastating to see South Africa go down the same path. Jacob Zuma has the best interest for the country, but sadly he is unable to provide the solutions that South Africa desperately needs.
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