ZUMA - A BAD PENNY CLOAKED IN NARCISSISM

President Zuma met with business leaders on the day the Nklanda case was taking center stage at the Constitutional Court. His meeting with business leaders was presumably intended to create the impression of diligently attending to matters of state, as if the Nklanda court hearing was a non-issue. Inasmuch as the court proceeding was televised, one assumes Zuma took time out of his busy schedule to witness his spurious arguments, and those of his hung out to dry sycophants (Mbete, Nxesi and Nhleko) being torn to shreds. To many in Zuma's position, it would be a clarion call to resign and quietly retire to the pastoral life of Nklandla. Not so - Zuma is like a bad penny that turns up again and again. Zuma has no conception of political reality. Just a few days ago he remarked that people are happy with his performance. His misguided and inordinate fascination with himself adds new dimensions to narcissistic egocentrism. Zuma will not willingly leave the political stage. That leaves the ruling ANC to oust him. Although there are signs of ANC discontent for Zuma , and resultant tightening of his reins, the approaching municipal elections will forestall any decision to oust him. The ANC cannot afford the huge embarrassment of ousting him in the interests of upsetting apocryphal party unity. At best, Zuma's role will fall into the lame-duck category with decisions emanating solely from the back rooms of Luthuli House. Barring unforeseen events, political reality will call for the ruling party to confine Zuma to serving out his full term as simply a figurehead president whose authority has been emasculated. But then again, do not summarily dismiss "the bad penny" haunting metaphor.