ZUMA AND THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

President Jacob Zuma has belatedly attempted to extricate himself from comments he made that the ANC took precedence over the country.  What he meant to say,  according to the President, was that the ANC still comes first, but his obligations to the country do not come second.

The President's clarification, despite floundering in semantics, does not pass the smell test.

Our Head of State is not a complicated man. He wears his heart on his sleeve, when speaking extemporaneously to an audience. He meant what he said - the ANC and the country are conjoined twins.

ANC leadership has routinely extolled the virtues of democratic principles and the constitution - the bedrock of the country.  In a "New York minute" the President opened the door to his and the ANC's proclivity to the very anthesis of constitutionalism - authoritarian rule.

The President has done the country a good turn in speaking the truth, and in doing so, has politically set the country free.