ZUMA'S MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Imagine if President Zuma  commenced his Sona speech with the words:  "The state of our nation is strong and rests on the bedrock of good governance".   Although this representation flies in the face of stark reality, Zuma and his government have had ample opportunity to make it happen.  Instead they have jointly and severally crippled the country's economy that likely foreshadows recession and the downgrading of its credit rating to junk bond status.

There was little substance in Zuma's address to the nation that would instill confidence, or anything suggesting a positive reaction to the speech from rating agencies.  It was essentially a cut and paste version of previous addresses with some exceptions. His attempt to address profligate spending by cutting down on government junkets, and canceling a scheduled dinner following  the budget speech later this month was paltry in contrast to the cost of public sector corruption, and other exigent crises attributable to Zuma's political chicanery, and the freewheeling  reckless spending of the ANC government.  Also, raising the issue of moving parliament to Pretoria as a cost cutting measure was a red herring - nothing new, other than flogging a dead horse.

Zuma's address to the nation, to quote Winston Churchill, "was a special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing. . . " That special thing was for Zuma to apologise to the nation for defying the public protector, and causing the irreparable fiscal meltdown following the firing of then Finance Minister Nene.

It would have been a golden opportunity for Zuma's to possibly salvage his  political career, and restore some level of credibility to his tattered image.  Sadly, he failed to do so, and more so, as South Africans are a forgiving people.