Our president has just admitted to having fathered his 20th child — this time, not the child of any of his five wives, but of a friend’s daughter. No, not the friend’s daughter by whom he was accused of rape. Another friend’s daughter. This time he scored with the daughter of Soccer World Cup local organising committee chairperson Irvin Khoza, Sonono. Zuma didn’t share the news out of fatherly pride — he tried hiding it, then denying it and only this week finally owned up under pressure from the media. Perhaps ANC spokesperson Brian Mthembu’s defensive assertion to the media that “[t]here is nothing shameful when two adults have a relationship” should instead have been addressed to his boss.
Julius Malema has — unusually — refrained from commenting. His explanation was, conveniently, a cultural one, which implied that all “Africans” should refrain from criticism: “We are Africans and sitting here all of us [sic], Zuma is our father so we are not qualified to talk about that.” Well, Julius, we only know of 20 children at this point, so technically he is not our father. But you do flag up an interesting dilemma in the ensuing public/private debate.
On the one hand, the argument against the media’s criticism of the “love child” story is that Zuma occupies the official position of president and is therefore available to us in only a purely public capacity, and his personal affairs (in a very literal sense) are not open to public scrutiny. This is the ANC’s official line, with Mthembu arguing: “As the ANC, we have always made a distinction between people’s personal affairs and their public responsibilities. Insofar as we are concerned, the alleged relationship of the president and anyone should be treated as such.”
On the other hand, the argument annulling our right to criticise is the one Julius makes: an essentialist African interpretation of its being culturally inappropriate to criticise an elder, which then moves the rationale from the realm of detached public officialdom to that of the private. Now, Julius, I’m not sure who you address in your assertion that “we are Africans”, but as my culture is included equally in the rainbow Constitution, I’ll generously assume you include me in your equation. In that case, your rationale is exactly what gives me the right to criticise Zuma. In my culture, respect is earned and while elders should be addressed politely, our fathers’ lives are indeed our concern and are open to our criticism, as they clearly impact on us. So if the rationale is a cultural one and based on the assumption that Zuma is our “father”, then the issue is open to public critique — as is the premise of the cultural argument itself, which opposition party Cope president Terror Lekota debunks: “His continued use of African custom as a smokescreen is also no longer acceptable. Polygamy is not promiscuity and his behaviour is not justifiable under any circumstances.”
So is Zuma a president or a father figure? Is he public or personal? And what is he to the media? Well, Zuma invited the media to his recent wedding, which as media ethics professor Franz Kruger argues, makes his private life “sufficiently of public interest to warrant media attention … When he advertises his private life, when he uses a cultural (not personal) argument as the basis of his defence, then it becomes a public argument”.
But beyond this, I would argue that the birth of his 20th child to a woman who is not any of his wives is a matter of public interest regardless of the basis of his defence. Responding to criticisms by numerous opposition parties and the media, the ANC said it did not see a correlation between Zuma’s personal relationships and the ANC’s policies on HIV/Aids. I find that quite bizarre. Just two months ago, on December 1 2009, Zuma gave a speech to mark World Aids Day, announcing plans to improve the treatment for HIV-positive people, and strongly emphasising that this “does not mean that we should be irresponsible in our sexual practices … It does not mean that people do not have to practise safer sex. It does not mean that people should not use condoms consistently and correctly during every sexual encounter”. He called for a new era of openness and a new era of taking responsibility, promising that “as government we are ready to play our role of leadership”.
It is expected that given this declaration and his call for new openness in confronting taboo issues openly, we hold him to account on his promises and his practice. It is the nature of responsible journalism and an engaged citizenry and is fundamental to healthy democracy. As Constitutional law expert Professor Pierre de Vos said, the crux of the matter is not a moral judgement of Zuma’s actions (although I would argue that this itself would be entirely valid), but whether politicians made certain statements of principle and policy and their private behaviour did not measure up to those state policies and principles.
In that case, the statement by the ANC quoted earlier also warrants interrogation — that “as the ANC, we have always made a distinction between people’s personal affairs and their public responsibilities” — as does Malema’s defence that “African culture” eschews the criticism of elders. What, then, of his derogatory comment about former minister of education Naledi Pandor’s “fake accent”? Or his labelling of SA Communist Party deputy general-secretary Jeremy Cronin as a “white messiah” — followed by the ANC Northern Cape’s provincial secretary Dikgang Stock threatening: “We humbly wish to warn these rented hooligans and dogs and their masters that we will defend the ANCYL leadership and ANC NEC with our lives, even if it makes kicking this unbecoming behaviour out of them we will do that”? Also, Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association’s branding of Helen Zille as “anti-African”and “racist” in response (ironically) to her comment that Zuma put his wives at risk of Aids as he had unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman, and countering this criticism with unfounded and absurd accusations by chairman Kebby Maphatsoe that “she appointed half her sex boys into the Western Cape provincial cabinet to keep them close enough to satisfy her well-evolved wild whore libido”. Or, finally, deputy police minister Fikile Mbalula’s inclusion of Kader Asmal as among “those relegated to the rubbish bin of history” and rejecting his criticisms as “the rumblings [sic] of a raving lunatic”. These recent examples have all been personal attacks by ANC members on respected anti-apartheid activists of an older generation.
In his diatribe against Asmal, Mbalula asserted: “It has never been part of our struggle or culture to seek liberation by the media, whom ironically Asmal calls upon to investigate the ‘dank, dark, dangerous areas of South African life.’ Our people have always understood their power to hold to account their political leadership and the power of the vote in keeping in check those that do not represent their aspirations. Asmal and his ilk, having realised this, choose to conveniently ignore the masses of our people and sound the clarion call to their darlings, the media establishment.” And now, just three months after this concerning verdict on the irrelevance of the media in holding power to account, Malema asks the media of Zuma’s current controversy: “What is political about this? You [journalists] must call me on political issues, not social issues.” I didn’t realise that social issues were not also political issues, or that the media’s mandate is restricted to political issues alone, and then only those with an upper-case “P”.
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40 Responses to “Father of the nation? In that case, the personal is public, Dad”
Spot on. I trust there will now be some serious unity and consolidation among opposition parties.
The only aspect you have left out is the financial one, which indeed has a bearing on every tax paying South African. Who is financing Zuma’s menagerie? For how long will the South African fiscus carry the responsibility? How many other wives and children are going to pop out of the woodwork?
These ANC clowns are turning around and walking into themselves.
Just a week ago, the buzz was about Shaik and ‘that other guy’ (I forget), and now Shaik is out of the limelight, to his great relief.
All the ANC can now do is contrive another crisis which will take the heat of themselves and Zuma. Perhaps another invasion of Lesotho is in order, or something. I wont be surprised.
Anyhoo, better entertainment than the Soccer world cup.
Thanks for the reminder about Helen Zilles comment “that Zuma put his wives at risk of Aids as he had unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman.” This must have been around the time that Zuma was getting down and fathering his new child.
Own up, Janice, were those wonderful puns serendipiditous or contrived - child number 20 - “… he scored with…” and ““[t]here is nothing shameful when two adults have a relationship” [I assume Mthembu considers His Libinous to be an adult] - like, man, the “generally corrupt relationship” (also something they tried to keep private) with the terminally crooked Shaik
Cogent arguments. To which I would add that Zuma, as the country’s “chief sustainability officer”, is being criminally irresponsible in bringing 20 children into an already-full world. Once again behaviour contradicts principles - this time of sustainability.
Do what I say, don’t do what I do! Many of our leaders are rotten to the core but because they were elected through promises that they have no hope of keeping, by people who hope and believe that these false promises will be delivered, we suddenly have to respect and applaud the ‘elite’ elected ones. Love is given! Respect and trust are earned. There are very few ANC members who have earned anything and this includes their fat pay cheques and benefits. Madiba has earned the respect of the world. Zuma has earned the ‘respect’ of those who will lose out if they disrespect him!
Well said, Janice Winter. Thank you for digging up Malema’s words about Asmal. I remembered that he had a lot of criticism for an old man when it suited him. In a 15-minutes-of-fame culture, everyone says something publicly that they will regret very soon. Malema and Zuma have used the media to make their political persona and the very same utterances they give to journalists will be their downfall. Uncle Karl (marx) taught me that every system has the seeds of its own destruction. Funny really that Zuma’s seed literally is his downfall.
Zuma can sing and dance well, he can churn out lots of children and rhetoric, but are these talents enough to qualify him to lead a country? Are there any examples of anything he’s done that has tangibly benefitted the citizens of South Africa?
An excellent 5 star plus article - well crafted and well researched.
Culturally promiscuous; genetically engineered to giggle. The DSTV HIV advert - African Man - 1 man 1 woman …. I expect there will be pressure to have that removed as it is obviously aimed at Zuma
As a journalist I would think that you would at least have a modicum of decency to mention that these allegations are uncorroborated and numerous privacy laws and journalist ethics were trampled upon to pursue this sensationalist, meaningless story. Like Zapiro, your pathetic euro centric myopia fails to see the inherent racism in the DA. Ever since the elections Zille engaged in gutter politics to personally attack and demonize the Zuma and Malema. Remember Zille threw the first punch when she resorted to personal insults. No doubt the tactics used by the DA are straight out of the playbook of the US Republican neocons. This strategy was successfully used by the these neocons in the US to attempt to impeach the ever popular Clinton with the Monica Lewinsky scandal and then again to successfully elect Bush twice!
The politics of division may have short term gains, but as a political party, the DA’s fate is sealed - a toothless bunch of whinging racists, bereft of any credibility that have utterly failed us as an inclusive, effective opposition party.
Similar to the attacks on Clinton from the hypocrites that professed “family values”, these vicious attacks that demonize and ridicules a democratically elected President, is a calculated move by the DA’s slash and burn strategy that is guaranteed to ultimately backfire. Respect for ones elders is an intrinsic part of African culture, so the damage being inflicted on race relations in SA may not be easily repairable.
I am amazed how the ANC have been so quick to condemn the media and the opposition because they have legitimately commented on the shocking behaviour of our leading public servant; but were silent when the ANCYL accused Helen Zille of appointing her cabinet so that she could sleep with them.
In that case, the most outlandish, unsubstantiated claims were made about a person who has an impeccable moral record, whereas in this case we have seen proof and an admission of moral failure but the media are told to stay out of it!
Wait for it; here come Siphiwo and Dave Harris to tell us that we are all racists for questioning Zuma’s morals or lack thereof.
On the loosely related subject of ANC apologism, I watched an episode of “Judge for Yourself” on eTV last night, on pardons, and realised watching the ANC chief whip that we have come full circle in South Africa. I am old enough to remember many years of TV and newspaper items on the Nationalist government, their shenanigans, their defensiveness, their appalling lack of principles, and the feelings of sickliness and disgust and shame I felt when I watched how SA was being run into the ground by these people.
Now, although the ANC started well, actually very well, they have descended to the same level as the Nationalist government.
At long last! A carefully reasoned, intelligent look at the role of the media in this matter.
It’s extraordinary how the celebrity/politician knee-jerk reaction to getting caught with pants down is immediately to blame the media. As if the reporters couldn’t control themselves and behaved in an entirely inappropriate manner.
And it’s extraordinary how the language of the ‘defenders’ of said inappropriate behaviour mirrors the language of the ‘accusers’ (or at least the alleged language - I can’t recall Zille or any of her supporters talking about something like ‘a well-evolved wild whore libido’).
I guess most of us lie low as the mud gets flung and are able to distinguish between right and wrong. But thanks for articulating some of that knowledge, Janice.
I seriously doubt if Mr. Zuma has ever used a condom in his life. As if five wives weren’t enough, he still finds the need and time to have sexual relations with other women, without protection. How does he expect to keep HIV at bay if he keeps on having unprotected sex? He must explain his contradictory behaviour against his moral regeneration image. Do as I say, not as I do!
The worst part is that he is now hiding behind said 20th child in accusing the media of using her for gain and at the same distancing himself from any blame for making her a public spectacle. No-one other than him has made her the focus of a media report except to point out that mom and dad got married after she was born and she is number 20. Embarrasing indeed.
The double standards and hypocracy practiced by the ANC, who seem to be above the law and are fast doing away with the freedom they fought so hard for, is not setting the stage for a crime (or AIDS)free country that respects gender equity or democratic principals.
The fact that the public and media is being accused of disrespect is also very worrying. Sexwale’s niece is forced to apologise for stating the reality on Facebook? What next? Public floggings for disobedience to the “elders” (but not necessarily wisest)? What happened to democracy? Has it been raped along with justice?
The media and journalists have become easy targets for the ANC, to try to detract from the failings of its political leaders. Zuma has to set a good example to the South African public - he is head of the moral regeneration project. Secondly, he has shown callous dishonesty in his relationships with his wives and the public. If he is lying to his wives, can he be trusted by the public? At a time when SA is in the public eye internationally, Zuma seems to have acted selfishly to gratify his base instincts rather than acting in the interests of the nation. He has violated every teaching of HIV/AIDS prevention, including the ABC rules. This in a country rampant with AIDS. To young men who look up to him as a father figure, as a political icon, he is saying that rampant promiscuity and unprotected sex is the way to go. Zuma is not a fit and proper person to rule the country and is a source of embarassment to all South Africans. He should be impeached for his morally corrupt behaviour and dishonesty.
Peta Krost Maunder on February 4th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Why is nobody noting that actions say more about a persons moral fibre and integrity than words. If Zuma drops his pants everytime some woman spreads her legs, he has no self control or moral integrity (I know he says he has but his actions override this). Figuratively speaking, who wants a president that drops his pants at every temptation, who has no moral authority to make the unpopolar decisions. I find the ANC’s blinkered and borg like responses to the glaringly obvious sandbag around their neck, ZUMA, depressing. What a poor choice of president, but what an ideal choice for those to whom he owes substantial favours for having got him into power and kept him out of hospital, I mean Jail. I wonder how low, morally, an ANC senior person has go before any form of rebuke will be forthcoming. SA’s living a Nightmare.
The taxpayers across South Africa already support Zuma’s extensive family and must pay for medical care, education, security, etc for his (acknowledged) children. Given that, it is a win-win situation for Zuma to marry as often as possible and father as many children as he can whilst he is in office. Why should he care how many there are? He doesn’t have to pay for them and when he leaves office his ‘pension’ is virtually identical to his pay packet as Prez.
In addition to relieving him of the usual responsibility to provide for his family by earning an income, he is also relieved of financial dependence on his friend Shabir Shaik. Another win for ‘big Daddy”.
I personally don’t care who he sleeps with or how many children he fathers. I do, however, care about his incompetence as a Head of State. He has to be tightly scripted or, like Ronnie Reagan and “Dubya’ Bush, he reveals his utter incapability to reason, to carry a thought through to a logical conclusion, and to express himself coherently. He has no credibility to lose. No one could possibly take such a non-entity seriously.
@Dave Harris To state that the objections to the actions of this president is a slander campaign by the DA is paranoid delution at best. This is the first time that all the opposition parties seem to be united in their opinion. Stop pestering the DA and Zille, they are working. One can be loyal to an idea whilst able to see the failings of those who are supposed to make it a reality. Your responses are so predictable I read them in the same spirit as Malema’s. Laurel and Hardy indeed. He must be Hardy.
Zuma may have, like any reasonable normal being, some weakenesses such as his undying love for sex with consenting adults.
The fundemental question flowing from your purported intellectual debate would be, from which angle must we, as a diverse south african society, having just emerged out of a depressing racial, cultural (socia),economic and political oppressive system of governance led by colonial and apartheid agents for decades, morally judge each other. What is the stricking line of balance to restrict subjectivity in such an inherently dynamic morality contest Does our constitution provide us with wisdom as to how to handle such scenario. If yes, where lies confusion,but if not, what are we doing about it / are we handling the issue decently and sensitively as naturally expected?
Do we acknowledge our diversity as the constitution demands,how about redress of unequal racial, cultural and economic power that reflects our society 20 years after this democracy, do we know or are we really interested to know what constitutes our very diversity, are we ready to handly these questions with less emossions as academics, media, and general societal intelligentsia as we should in the 21st century?
The challenge we should grabble with here is “let he that is wthout sin among you let him cast the first stone” All Jesus was asking was can’t we, as civilized beings, handle the weaknesses of other fellow beings with decency and care?
My black brudda, it is the 4th of February and everything that the media has said of Zuma has been corroberated.
And Zille did not throw any insult at the ANC and Zuma prior to the last elections. She stated an inalienable truth, that “Zuma places his wives at risk of contracting HIV by his behaviour.”
She should say it again, and this time there will be a clear majority who agree with her. Dont you also agree, Dave Harris, that Zuma is placing his wives at risk of contracting HIV by his behavior?
@Larry Goodfella
“My black brudda”
I wonder why my race is so important for you to know? Are you so brainwashed?
btw. I’m actually blue, like the Navi in the movie Avatar, or blue like the Hindu deity Krishna…take your pick..LOL
“Dont you also agree, Dave Harris, that Zuma is placing his wives at risk of contracting HIV by his behavior?”
I wonder why you make these weird assumptions that the women President Zuma has sex with are automatically likely to be HIV positive. You have a pretty warped view of black women don’t you? Similarly, your negative stereotyping of black men is disgusting as well - why would black men indulge in risky sexual escapades and put their lives and the lives of their loved ones at risk? Do you think that black men are less human and don’t care about people they love?
Fantastic article! Some always need someone to blame for their miseries. Mr Zuma and his friend’s nationalism is like all, if you do not want to be part of it you are not valid, you are an outsider, you are inferior. These tribalisms do not want to accept that, in the same way that I should try to understand, even respect, their ideas or acts, I have, or should have, the right to criticize them. Is Democracy so complicated? It is difficult but not complicated.
“Africans should refrain from criticism” is an outstanding comment. Some French, when my country was ruled by a General, used to say that Africa began at the Pyrenees… exactly the same idea. I do think that an African is not less, or more, than anyone else. According to Mr Malema, and some French, I am wrong.
Pablo, an outsider on February 5th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
@Dave Harris
The decency you to which you refer, you possess more than a modicum I take it? You talk about allegations that are uncorroborated — so this “inherent racism in the DA”, did you just forget to cite your references?
When you distil it down, your argument seems somewhat lacking.
The issue is not journalists and the media. The issue is, did the president do something wrong? People, especially leaders, should be held accountable for their actions.
Governments are formed by the people and for the people. Public servants and all that. So why is it political parties seem to put the good of the party before the good of the nation?
Firstly, even Zuma acknowledged that he was aware that the woman who accused him of rape, who he admitted to sleeping with without a condom for protection, was HIV positive. In this particular instance, he placed himself and his wives at risk of also being infected with a deadly sexually transmitted disease. This is NOT a wierd assumption. You must agree. OK, so that one is out of the way.
Secondly, any person can be HIV positive and not have any outward symptoms. Having unprotected sex outside of marriage, is risky business, and once again Zuma places himself and his wives at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted deadly disease. You say NO, why?
Pink, black brown or blue, like you. Jeez, like lecturing a twelve year old. Ho hum.
My liitle boy blue, you are the only one here hung up on race and assuming what others think to suit your inability to reason on non-racial lines of argument.
@Larry Goodfella
“My liitle boy blue, you are the only one here hung up on race”
Still can’t help calling people “boys” can you?
btw. You still haven’t answered why you think I’m black, or why it matters in our discussions, have you?
After centuries of white supremacy, don’t you think SAns are still pretty much HUNG UP ON RACE and will be for the next few generations?
Most of my friends overseas simply shake their heads in amazed and appalled when I pass on some of the racist gems pervasive on these blogs from our previously advantaged SAns. What have we become as a society?
People have different propensities. JZ seems to have a strong propensity for having unprotected sex and sadly this is not restricted to his wives. To my mind there are three problems associated with this situation.
1. The HIV/AIDS pandemic in SA.
Given this pandemic and the fact that the early stages of HIV infection are not discernible it is irresponsible to have unprotected sex with anybody, even with your wives or husbands, unless you have mutually agreed that both of you want the encounter to open up the possibility of a pregnancy.
2. There are already an unsustainable number of people alive on the planet. Reproductively we need to restrict ourselves to only replacing ourselves.
3. For proper development as a human being an infant human needs the maximum possible input from both its parents. More than two children per family means a reduced amount of parental air time per child. JZ has fathered at least 20 children.
JZ fails on all of the above counts. These are all very important things in the current South Africa. We need a President who does not fail at them.
4. Leaders should be people of character, trustworthy. If a leader is prepared to betray the trust of the people closest to him, for his own pleasure, then won’t he also betray the country, for his own interests?
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Janice Winter is programme manager of the Axess Programme on Journalism and Democracy and has recently graduated with an MPhil in development studies from the University of Oxford, receiving a distinction for research on victims of political violence in Zimbabwe. A journalist by profession and a scholar by addiction, she is also passionate about social justice, identity politics, words and wine (not necessarily in that order).
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Spot on. I trust there will now be some serious unity and consolidation among opposition parties.
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