So it is official. Jacob Zuma is off the hook, as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed the rumors that had been swirling for several days by dropping the charges against the African National Congress (and likely future South African) president. (See the full text of the NPA decision here.) Presumably, then, this long and sordid story is done. Or at least it will move on the a new phase — Zuma and his supporters will declare that he has been vindicated (though as National Director of Public Prosecutions Mokotedi Mpshe pointed out on Monday, the dropping of the charges does not amount to an acquittal) and the opposition parties will gnash their teeth.
But it is almost unimaginable that the charges will ever be reinstated, whatever the Congress of the People and Democratic Alliance hope, so Zuma, South Africa’s teflon politician, once again finds that no charges against him stick. And yet South Africans ought to find it disquieting that their likely next president needs a teflon coating to begin with. Make no mistake about it — the Zuma case has been politicized on all sides to the point of obscuring the very real case against him. And don’t forget that the seemingly interminable corruption imbroglio almost obscured the fact that Zuma already had a significant brush with the legal system when he was charged with rape, which led to a controversial acquittal.
Jacob Zuma has gotten what he so dearly wanted and needed, which outs him in position to claim his ultimate prize. But South Africans looking toward their political future would be fully justified in wondering just how bright that future will be with Zuma at the helm. Will he uphold the rule of law, or will the law be a mere impediment to plow through when he cannot maneuver around it? His past record does not exactly inspire optimism.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
