Jacob Zuma has the most sleezy smile that I have ever seen. Every time you drive to Mthatha you see him in massive-o size on a billboard in Mqanduli. On the back side of the poster is a beer advert. He looks corrupt, but that may be me just deciding that after I know he has a bad rep for corruption. Anyway, the National Prosecution Agency just effectively cleared him of doing dodgey arms deals, so he looks to be in the clear.
He also said some nasty/stupid stuff in his rape trial (he was acquitted) and is endlessly mocked for saying that he had a shower to minimise the chance of getting HIV after sex without contraception. One cartoonist draws him with a showerhead permanently coming out of his collar over his head. I hear that someone is selling a new shower gel to take the piss, but with the warning that it doesn’t cure HIV/AIDS. Good craic. Hope they don’t get censored.
I asked someone in the village why they are going to vote for the ANC. They said that even though they don’t have a job, they get money. So that is good. That was the ANC. There seems to be a fear that anyone else would take it away, when I don’t think that would be very easy.
If the ANC get two thirds of the vote, they can do whatever they want. They can re-write the constitution. They can make the national anthem “Bring me my machine gun”, JZ’s theme song, which gives the media endless yucks. So that would be bad. But trying to describe that to folks is pretty challenging. It seems obvious to politics geeks that competition is good for parliaments, but that doesn’t get anywhere near the voters here (that I know of) and actually probably wouldn’t sink in to much of the UK electorate.
I heard that Malema (I think that’s his name. He is the vocal leader of the ANC Youth League and seems to be a wrong-un) was in Cape Town saying that all black people will get a free university degree and stuff. What about white people? This guy is a real rabble-rouser and he has a lot of power.
The trouble on election day will be in Kwa-Zulu Natal, so I am glad in a way that we didn’t end up there. I am sure it will be localised, but Inkatha Freedom Party and the ANC are big enemies so fights are expected up in Zulu territory. We get the day off and I am keen to go see a voting station out of curiosity. Kim may over-rule me and make us go to the beach. Yes, it is still sunny and warm. Well done South Africa!
Anyway, back to elections. There is no way any other parties will get anywhere near the ANC but it is possible that they will reduce the majority to less than 66%, which would make for a more balanced parliament. Fingers crossed for Weds.
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