THE LESSONS OF THE NENE/ VAN ROOYEN/ GORDHAN FIASCO
The remarkable developments of the past week have raised a number of fundamental questions about our President; about the ANC, about power - and about our constitutional democracy.
The first of these relates to the ability of Mr Zuma to carry out the grave responsibilities that our Constitution devolves on him. In the wake of his inexplicable - and still unexplained - decision to dismiss the Finance Minister, Nhlanhla Nene, it is perhaps more important than ever to try to understand what motivates Jacob Zuma.
President Zuma provided some insights in a speech that he made to African businessmen immediately after he announced Nene’s dismissal. At the heart of his thinking lies the deep - and often historically valid - grievance over the manner in which Africa and Africans were treated by Europeans during the past 500 years.
Africa - which, according to him, is bigger than all the other continents combined - has been the victim of hundreds of years of brutal exploitation. Millions of Africans were hauled off into slavery and thereby contributed to the economic prosperity now enjoyed by the United States and Europe.
Africa was carved up by European imperialists who robbed Africans not only of their wealth and freedom - but also of their human identity. Europeans had tried to remould Africans in their own image - as Lusitanians, Francophones and as little Englishmen.