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Three reasons why the ANC is wrong on Zuma
Helen Zille, Leader of the Democratic Alliance
2 February 2010

ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu yesterday responded to the furore surrounding President Zuma by stating that “there is nothing wrong [with what] the President had done” and suggesting that the matter is private, and thus does not warrant any sort of public response.
The ANC’s position is profoundly problematic, for three reasons:
First, it demonstrates that the ruling party does not understand the problem, or the relationship between public office and private behaviour.
Public office – that is, those positions in which people serve the public interest – differs from the private sector in one fundamental way: the people appointed to those positions are elected. As such, they are required to embody a series of principles and values, upon which their support is based. In this regard, their personal behaviour reflects directly on their public office, for their mandate is borne of their private attitudes. The more important the public position, the more a person’s attitudes come to bear on their public persona. Hence the question: “Is this person fit to be President?” or “Is this person fit to hold public office?”

It is for this reason that people resign from public office if they are found to have violated the principles which they claim to embody. If a public representative says corruption is bad in public, but commits corruption in private, his or her situation becomes untenable. This contradiction undermines public faith in their convictions and in the integrity of their office.

In much the same way, if Jacob Zuma says unprotected sex with multiple sexual partners is bad in public, he is expected to uphold those values in private, otherwise there is little or no reason to take seriously anything he or his government says.

Second, it demonstrates that the ANC does not understand that sex, by its nature is a private affair.

People do not have sex in their public capacity. As such, any comment on sex and the attitudes that accompany it is, by first principles, a comment on private behaviour. That is the very challenge at the heart of government’s campaign on HIV/Aids, to influence people’s private attitudes. In this case, the problem is particularly serious because the issue the President is being duplicitous on concerns a national threat – HIV/Aids – and thus the damage done is more acute.

Third, it demonstrates that the ANC does not understand the principles of good leadership.

The gulf between the President’s personal actions and his public position has a series of consequences for his ability to properly lead. A good leader is both consistent and transparent. That is, they embody a series of principles and should be able to explain their action in terms of those principles. Jacob Zuma cannot do this. And the problem is not limited to his attitude to unprotected sex either. He is building a reputation as duplicitous on a myriad different issues. He openly criticised Robert Mugabe in the run-up to his election, since then, he has fallen silent; he suggested that our labour laws would be reformed, he has done no such thing; he preaches one position on affirmative action to one section of the population and another to the other. And so on. These are not the traits of good leadership.

The ANC’s inability to tell the difference suggests too that it has two sets of values, one for the South African public and another for President Jacob Zuma.

Mr. Mthembu got one thing right at least. He said: “We do not see the correlation between the ANC policies on HIV and AIDS and the President’s personal relationships.” We do not either.

For this reason, the President ought to apologise and act to better embody the values he advocates for other South Africans.

The only question is whether, if he apologises this time around, anyone will actually believe him.

Related posts:

  1. The love child scandal exposes the two faces of Jacob Zuma
  2. Jacob Zuma’s love child with Sonono Khoza – he owes us an explanation
  3. Jacob Zuma apologises for “pain” caused to family, ANC – full text
  4. Zille – Zuma’s lawyers are lying – full text
  5. Helen Zille reacts to Zuma speech – full text

 

Comments

 

Larry Goodfella

February 2, 2010 at 9:19 pm

“I for my part will not keep quiet while others whose minds have been corrupted by the disease of racism accuse us, the black people of South Africa, of Africa and the world, as being, by virtue of our Africanness and skin colour, lazy, liars, foul-smelling, (incompetent), diseased, corrupt, (illiterate), violent, amoral, sexually depraved, animalistic, savage and rapist,” Thabo Mbeki, in Parliament in 2004.

Mbeki must be blowing bubbles in his whisky glass over this one.

A fine response Helen Zille. Cuts to the bone of reason and logic.

 

Chim-Cham

February 3, 2010 at 9:31 am

I think Hellen Zille must apologise for his all-male cabinet that she appointed as it also undermines the intelligent and the possible contribution that south african women can make for this country. She must also apologise to all the other races that she excluded from her cabinet as well…..before she can be taken seriously in whatever hallucinations she may have….

 

Shark

February 3, 2010 at 10:04 am

I m an ANC member and I one of the cetizens that made sure JZ take the office. Honestley this time I m realy dissapointed with his conduct.
I never had to concur with anything that Helen Had to say about Zuma but this time around I stand with her, this is beacuse this time she is objective and decided to respond this matter in an elderly mental manner not swearing on anyone or been racial. I apluod her for a good responce and the breath she breathed when she responded to this issue.

As so Msholozi and the ANC team, ANCYL, SASCO you can try to be strong and stand by your statement to the media but for you advice your not following anyone of us. Deep down you know what the president did is wrong.

To this Khoza girl, what type of message does she send to her father, that she can manage to take on her father too in the bedroom. I apologise if I spaeking out of ten but I dont see myself raising my girl and later she date a man more my age! Realy that will embarass me big time.

As for the President man, you need a serious Rehab, that lobido goat your caring must be directed into a better direction.

 

Larry Goodfella

February 3, 2010 at 1:11 pm

@Chim Cham

Nothing can undermine your intelligence, because it simply does not exist.

Try this. Helen Zille is a woman. She is the leader of the second biggest political party in this country. She is the premier of the second biggest province (economically). She leads the men in her cabinet. It is not an all male cabinet.

Now try this. Has the ANC ever had a woman leader? Will it ever have a woman leader?

Nothing to apologise for. We will just blame apartheid for your current lack of intelligence.

 

BillyC

February 3, 2010 at 3:42 pm

Zuma will go down as the horniest leader since Henry 8th (He was a monarch and not an elected leader) . Henry had to kick the catholics out of England to get his way. How far is Zuma prepared to go to defend his rights to his growing harem/creche

Mbeki was always away meddling in African affairs all over the continent . Should we be grateful that Zuma is meddling in African affairs at home.

 

Vuyani

February 3, 2010 at 5:00 pm

It’s a private affair… No one asked Helen who she is sleeping with.

 

Larry Goodfella

February 3, 2010 at 7:55 pm

@ Vuyani

Anything to do with Zuma is not private. Understand. Thats why we are talking about it here and debating his bad behaviour.

Zille’s situation is no different. If she were caught out having an affair with another man other than her husband, then we would be denouncing her in these blogs just as strongly.

The difference is that Zille has the leadership qualities and the sensabilities to avoid situations that would cast her reputation in a bad light. She has done nothing but prove to the people of South Africa that she is a highly capable leader and a principled family woman.

 

Sizwe

February 5, 2010 at 10:08 am

It seems the concept of leadership by example doesn’t exist within the ranks of the ANC – if they see no problem with Zuma’s behaviour and how it will likely affect the youth of the country then they are even more shortsighted than everyone thought.

 

Larry Goodfella

February 5, 2010 at 10:49 am

If just one person gets AIDS and dies by following Zuma’s example, then he just as good as murdered that person with his own hand.

No doubt there will be hundreds and thousands who will be struck down because of this negative influence and set-back in the fight against HIV AIDS.

 

motsei

June 20, 2011 at 1:47 pm

jz should be placed in the rubbish bin. couse he sucks

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