COLUMN: JZ’s great prison ‘escape’
A cunningly elusive political trickster and manipulator of our post-modernist times, Jacob Zuma has come to embody all that is slick and slippery about politics. A deviously deceitful and guileful manipulator, Zuma is a skilful demagogue that plays on the emotions of his sycophantic supporters. His notorious duck-and-dive gimmicks, obstinate belligerence and recalcitrant trickery are
A cunningly elusive political trickster and manipulator of our post-modernist times, Jacob Zuma has come to embody all that is slick and slippery about politics. A deviously deceitful and guileful manipulator, Zuma is a skillful demagogue who plays on the emotions of his sycophantic supporters. His notorious duck-and-dive gimmicks, obstinate belligerence and recalcitrant trickery are incredulously immatchable and impressive.
Msholozi’s cunning ruthlessness and truculent obstinacy are evidently observable whenever he is boxed to a corner by his opponents and adversaries. In his pursuit of political battles, JZ will apply all sorts of tactical manoeuvres and conman finesse to outclass his opponents. Very daring and fearless of any consequences, Zuma is superbly capable of staging the most incredible escape whenever he is cornered.
Because of his ‘escaping capabilities’ while he was a freedom fighter during the liberation struggle, JZ became known as ‘Phunyuka’bamphethe’. That linguistic Zulu expression loosely translates as ‘the one who always escapes from his enemies’.
Post-1994, Msholozi’s political pathways have always been dogged and besieged by countless scandals and shameful blunders. And he always applied his masterly duck-and-dive tactics to escape from any political quagmire. But a renowned Sunday newspaper journalist once wrote, so prophetically, that: “Zuma is undeniably the most decorated political survivor in our democratic history. But there is no honour in surviving and escaping from your own people.”
In 2009, Zuma’s corrupt and jailed financial advisor, Shabir Shaik, secured a mafia-style release from prison under the disguise that he is ‘terminally ill and dying’.
In July this year, Msholozi handed himself over to prison to serve his 15-month incarceration for contempt of court imposed by the Constitutional Court. After spending two weeks in prison, Zuma was suddenly admitted to hospital for mysterious reasons. As widely suspected, on Sunday the Correctional Service department pronounced that Zuma had been released on medical parole. What a fascinating repetition of political history!
I hope this is not yet another playful episode of Zuma’s deceitful trickery and duck-and-dive gimmicks. But if it is indeed true that he is terminally ill, then I wish him a wonderful recovery. But we must remember that this is Jacob Zuma, the most elusive ‘Phunyuka’bamphethe’.
