Jacob Zuma Interview on Al Jazeera

Lycanthrope

Lycanthrope

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Sir David Frost interviewed ANC President Jacob Zuma on his television show ’Frost Over The World’ on Al Jazeera on the weekend.

Sir David Frost: And first of all regarding the upcoming election. You are certain to win them…

Jacob Zuma: All indications are that the ANC are going to win the elections. As you know, since 1994 the ANC has been winning elections. The ANC is very strong and I think this time around it looks even stronger than any other time before.

Frost: Well when you say stronger, one thing that is different is that you are fighting a man of God, Bishop Dandala, and you also have the Cope group. They could reduce your majority, couldn’t they?

Zuma: I am not necessarily worried about fighting the man of God. I think there have been lots of men of God in South African politics in the past. That’s the least of my worries, really. I think there’s opposition that’s been there before who have prepared themselves. The leaders that are already known. You will of course recall that Cope emerged in 2008, less than a year before the elections. It’s not easy to start a party in such a short space of time. But in a position to be able to prepare the elections, such serious elections like the ones that are coming in a matter of months. And when you are then coming in you pitch up with the type of leadership that you want, so pure in every respect. That in fact you who have formed the organisation with that slogan. Two months before the elections you then realise you are not fit to lead the party in terms of your own description or definition of what type of leader you want. You then, when you are left with two months, try to find a new leader. It might be a bishop, but a leader that must come in eight weeks and really lead you and become a threat. I don’t think that is realistic. There are leaders who’ve been there before who have gone into the political atmosphere and temperature. They understand it. And I think Cope has rather done few things that have not helped them to be appreciated in what they say. For example, when some of them resigned from the ANC they were saying they want a more democratic process. But there is no democracy in the election of the very leadership of Cope. There have been consultations and appointments etc. And people of Cope themselves are no longer happy. In fact they are coming back to the ANC ordinary membership, in droves. We are receiving them almost every day. Because Cope, for you to say it is a serious threat including its new leader, the bishop, you should be identifying the political issues in general. But more importantly you should be saying these are the alternative policies that Cope is coming up with. And therefore the electorate in South Africa is going to be forced to make choices. Because they are offering an alternative to the ANC. Buy they are offering nothing. In fact, up to now Cope has not even completed its manifesto. They said they are going to be completing it in due course. So what is it that could be referred to as a threat if it is not an imagined threat?
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Frost: I see yes, I see what you’re saying, but people writing in South Africa say, that the danger of Cope is that they could still have a big majority, but not quite the two thirds majority which would allow you to change the constitution and allow you to grant yourself immunity from these corruption charges and to do that you’ve got to get a two thirds majority. Is that right?

Zuma: No it’s not right. It can’t be right. What is it that makes people conclude that Cope is going to get a bigger percentage of the votes? Why should they get it? What is it they are offering to the people of this country? To the electorate of this country who are very clear, why they have to vote? I am saying, this is an imagined threat to the ANC. Precisely because the existing oppositions have not been able to what you are just saying and therefore people are just hoping against hope. That perhaps Cope could do that is an imagined kind of threat. There’s no threat of that nature.

Frost: I see if you were elected and it was a two thirds majority, would you quash the criminal charges against you? Once you become President and if you have a two thirds majority would you cancel those out and grant yourself immunity?

Zuma: No, why should I do so? We are running a constitutional democracy in South Africa. And we are practising a very clear rule of law. There’s no president, whether he wins with two thirds of a majority, who can then stand up there and say I am now cancelling these judges. Impossible in the South African setting. What we are doing in South Africa, which people should appreciate, is that we are treating our constitutional democracy, so well that no citizen of this country can be said, because he or she holds certain position, cannot be trialed. That’s what in fact what we are going to see. We are going to once again do something that is unprecedented in this country. Wherein the president is going to court and answer questions. And test the allegations against him. And allow the court of law to determine whether he was guilty or not guilty. Shouldn’t we be saying once again the democratic South Africa is showing the world what you need to do? That you don’t because you hold certain positions be above the law. Everybody is equal before the law. This is what I think the world should be saying; "What interesting processes that are taking place in South Africa."

Frost: Well, that is indeed very important what you said there and indeed you said on one occasion when you were addressing a lunch that the the ANC has many leaders who could take over from you if you, quote "go down". So that you’ve got a back-up there in any case.

Zuma: Absolutely. I think we are the only organisation here with a big collective of leadership from which you could produce a president. We are not scarce of leadership. We are not falling short of the existence of leadership. If for example, the case should proceed and Zuma should be found guilty. On that day Zuma will resign and on that day the ANC will have a presidential candidate who will take over. And it will be smooth. What the world should be saying once again is, there’s no need to worry, because the ANC has gone through this process. It recalled a second president and the president came in — Motlanthe, and performed so well. That transition was so smooth. The constitution adhering to the principles, democratic processes, the ANC itself discussed that issue for 14 hours. So by the time it arrived at a decision, it exactly knew what it was doing. It understood the democratic consequences. And indeed we have moved forward. What the commentators should be saying, the ANC did something unexpected, never done. What else could be difficult for the ANC? They should say, we are confident the ANC will ride the storm once again.

Frost: Talking of storms, there is obviously more violence in South Africa, more murders in South Africa than you would like to see as President when you are President, more than you would like to see. Are you worried about the question of violence, particularly bearing in mind that you’ve got the World Cup coming to South Africa and so on. Can you re-assure people they will be safe?

Zuma: Absolutely. We are not concerned at all about violence. There will be no violence in South Africa. I think the world should know that South Africa has long passed that possibility. You recall that in 1994 when we went for elections, at this time, four weeks or probably eight weeks before elections, there was violence in the country. In fact, up to two weeks before the elections. But on the day of the elections, the elections were peaceful. Everybody recognise that this is the special quality of South Africans. No way when we are fifteen years into democracy and we’ve gone through a number of elections peacefully, can we now worry about violence. It is impossible. And therefore the fact that we will be hosting, in a short while, the 2010 world cup must indicate that by now everybody should be saying all of that in South Africa will be peaceful, wonderful events that will take place. There’s no worry. However, we are continuing to convey a message to all parties that there is a need for peaceful campaigning. It’s important for us to do so. To remind and encourage our supporters and voters and creators of the parties. Not because we are concerned there will be violence. Not at all. I think we are pass that stage.

Frost: Well that would be good news, because at the moment we read here in the papers that there are 50 murders a day in South Africa?

Zuma: Oh yes, yes. The issue of crime is an issue we’ve said is an issue, like any other country, that is facing South Africa. We’ve taken very serious measures and it’s one of the issues we are prioritising, as soon as the new administration comes in to address. We are not saying with general crime that there is no crime in South Africa. But we are fighting it all the time. We believe that crime in South Africa is not much different from crime in other countries. The only difference in South Africa is that our media is more open and report crime more than it is reported in other countries. That’s what we know and we are not worried about that, because we are happy that our media reports crime as it does. Because it does put us on the alert that we should be dealing with the issue more emphatically. But there is nothing in South Africa that makes the situation more extraordinary than in other countries. I think we are in the average. And we are fighting it. We’ve got strategies to deal with it. Certainly by 2010, you will tell me that violence will be the talk that is has gone down. Perhaps it will be close to zero by that time. We have the plan to deal with crime in South Africa.

Frost: And of the ANC again; Nelson Mandela made an appearance on behalf of the ANC just recently and people said that was a landmark moment really, because he is retired from political life of course. Did he give you any advice about this election?

Zuma: No. Firstly let me just explain this. The former President Mandela, with whom we are in constant contact, when he saw the ANC launching its manifesto in our city called East London in the Eastern Cape province, he actually called on that day congratulating his organisation and asked me to come to his home when we come back from East London. Which I did. When we ate lunch together with him, he then instructed me that he wanted to appear with me in a rally in the Eastern Cape. I even thought that because he is very old, maybe we should organise a rally in Johannesburg. He insisted that he wants to appear in the rally in Eastern Cape. At the point when we were meeting over lunch, he repeated that five times. Then the organisation embarked on the preparations to make former President Mandela satisfy his own desire. And we are happy about it because he is one of the outstanding leaders of the ANC. To us it was very important that he appeared, so that the voters must realise that Mandela, old as he is, is very much alive to the fact that we are campaigning and he is part of us. He has given that leadership. What he said in the car, as we were driving to the rally, which I repeated in the rally, was that we must conduct the campaign with the dignity it deserves. With the respect that you need. And the ANC members and volunteers took that very seriously. The advice from our beloved President Mandela. That’s what he did as an advice.
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Source: The Times
 
Did Zapiro coin him as the chameleon? I put 2 images side by side, umshimi what ever and then this interview. Its 2 different people.

** Sigh **
 
Can you re-assure people they will be safe?

Zuma: Absolutely. We are not concerned at all about violence. There will be no violence in South Africa.

Frost: Well that would be good news, because at the moment we read here in the papers that there are 50 murders a day in South Africa?

Zuma: Oh yes, yes. The issue of crime is an issue we’ve said is an issue, like any other country, that is facing South Africa.
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I liked this part the best. I guess he hasn't heard of our violent crime?
 
Maybe that new administration he is talking about is a new govt, one step closer to what Mad Bob is doing in Zimbabwe.
 
LeetStone said:
Maybe that new administration he is talking about is a new govt, one step closer to what Mad Bob is doing in Zimbabwe.
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Why is everybody trying to mirror what is happening to Zim to SA. Not to be offensive at all, but this is becoming dull, and subsequently deserves to be labeled as an "ID ten Tee " Error:D short translation "ID10T" error:eek:

Zim cannot be compared to SA. How long have we had Land Reform process in SA? I don't see anything that happened through Land Reform since its inception in SA that mirrors or mimics Zim land reform.

If people are so obsessed about Zim why not move there, and let us be. PLEASE
 
The only difference in South Africa is that our media is more open and report crime more than it is reported in other countries. That’s what we know and we are not worried about that, because we are happy that our media reports crime as it does. Because it does put us on the alert that we should be dealing with the issue more emphatically. But there is nothing in South Africa that makes the situation more extraordinary than in other countries.
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Except that people get tortured on a daily basis for R50 and a cellphone. Kids get run over by taxis, who are seemingly above the law. The private security industry is one of the biggest in SA, even the SAPS uses them. <sarcasm >Sure, nothing is wrong. Zuma, we trust you</sarcasm >
 
Somehow i struggle to believe what any politician in SA has to say ( i mention SA because i have not seen other politicians talk their tripe and it never happening) because pre 1994 we were all promised racial equality promised that colour would not be seen anymore and that a person would be appointed because he could do the job.

But now you get things like equity plans and affrimative action... exact opposite of what was promised...
 
You should watch the 'people and power' video about crime in SA on AJE, it's on now and may repeat for a few days... it's pretty scary.

It includes the outtake of the frost interview where Zuma says the media are exaggerating crime is not as big an issue.
 
Yeah, crime is not a big issue, they should just keep telling themselves that and keep right on smoking that good dope they're smoking.

The Zimbabwe thing: whether you like it or not, Robert Mugabe is kinda a shining example to these African leaders of how to get rid of the "white colonialists" and knowing that many of them in RSA at the moment have a seething hatred towards the white man, they will do whatever it takes to see that they "get their own back". The big difference between RSA and Zim is just the timeframes involved
 
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Yet the masses most affected by crime continue to vote ANC.

You get the government you deserve. I've lost sympathy for Thabo in Nelspruit who has no job and no running water but once again voted ANC.
 
The guy can't even talk in coherent sentences and yet people think he has the ability to run a country.
 
Well he can't be more in denial about HIV/AIDS, crime and unemployment than Mbeki.
 
Nod said:
Except that people get tortured on a daily basis for R50 and a cellphone. Kids get run over by taxis, who are seemingly above the law. The private security industry is one of the biggest in SA, even the SAPS uses them. <sarcasm >Sure, nothing is wrong. Zuma, we trust you</sarcasm >
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why do you think south africans dont respect the law?
 
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