Monday, February 8, 2010

South Africa's Sex-President

Nothing is working in Ghana and we don’t know who is in control, the greedy bustards or the inward looking guys but we are at least much better than South Africa where the people are now saddled with a problematic President.

The problem with President Jacob Zuma is not a disease but his reckless libido. It is sad that at the World Economic Conference in Davos , Switzerland , the more exciting contribution from South Africa had nothing to do with economy and development but President Zuma's statements about his polygamy, his promiscuity and Zulu culture.

Democracy throws up all sorts and that is probably what makes it beautiful. Whatever it throws up, society gets a chance to learn fresh and often unimaginable lessons. After the end of apartheid, South Africans had Nelson Mandela as President. He is father of the nation, the eternal symbol of South African renaissance.

His successor, Thabo Mbeki cut a fine picture of decorum and dignity. The current President is neither Mandela nor Mbeki: he has nothing of their attributes. He came to power riding the wave crests of populism but as President he has robbed the office of its gravitas, turning South Africa into a laughing stock.

He has confirmed the average African's worst fears, that in good time, South Africa often touted as a special African country (under Mandela and Mbeki) will go the way of other African countries. Zuma , South Africa 's most prototypical African President to date, has proven this to be true. In a country where women's rights used to be taken seriously, his treatment of women as sex objects puts all South African women to ridicule. In a country where HIV/AIDS poses a serious public health challenge his love of unprotected sex jeopardises the safe sex campaign. Polygamy may be accepted among his Zulu stock, but his fathering of a love child raises grave moral questions.

Zuma has 20 children from so many women. A former wife committed suicide claiming that marriage to Zuma was "hell". He has three official wives, all playing the role of First Lady collectively and in turns. The mother of his latest child, a love child, is the daughter of his friend, Irving Khoza, head of South Africa 's World Cup 2010 organizing committee and owner of the Orlando Pirates football club.

Zuma has had to pay a fine as Zulu custom requires for putting Somono Khoza in the family way outside wedlock. He insists that he loves his wives equally. He was once quoted saying he could not contract HIV because he took a shower after having unprotected sex. Jacob Zuma may be good at winning popular votes, but as President, he is working too hard at becoming an embarrassment to his country.

He has complained about excessive media scrutiny of his private life. He talks about his cultural rights. How about his responsibilities as a national role model? His party, the ANC is preaching a "one partner" message to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS but the President keeps many women and talks about cultural rights. In 2005, he was accused of raping another friend's daughter.

He is scheduled to visit the United Kingdom in March as a guest of the Queen. In June, South Africa will be hosting the World Cup. What will South Africans do with their President: other men will be afraid to leave their wives alone with him for a second.

While Jacob Zuma hops from one bed to another, the black voting majority which brought him to power in the hope that he will show a better understanding of their plight in post-apartheid South Africa is badly short-changed. They remain poor, homeless and alienated as they keep wondering: what has the end of apartheid brought us? The opposition wants President Jacob Zuma to undergo a sex-addiction therapy. ANC members want Zuma to be left alone.

They should be singing Lethu Mshini Wani (Bring me my machine gun) and their guns should be trained on Zuma if that will force him to concentrate on the job. It is a shame.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

what about President Kufuor who took ladies on his 180 trips for sex,you one in Ghana and you are talking about SA

Anonymous said...

PP,after taking the bribe monies from Alex ou have come to your senses.....Shame on you oooooo

Anonymous said...

Give Reuben Abati of Guardian Nigeria (and NIgeria village Square) his by-line for plagarising his article, word for word! There's honour in doing whats riight.

Anonymous said...

Complaint by Dr Abati
Mr. Prince Prah,
My attention has been drawn to a story titled "Zuma's African PR problem" in The Mail and Guardian, 12 -18 February at p. 4, in which the newspaper attributed the writing of a comment to you as the author.
The comment was taken from a post by you – Prince Prah – titled "South Africa's Sex-President" published on Ghana Web as an opinion written by you on Wednesday, February 10, 2010.
I aver that the material - minus a few phrases which you added to it in the opening line, was published in a Nigerian newspaper, The Guardian on Sunday, February 7 2010 at page 66, and also on the newspaper's website (see www.ngrguardiannews.com) and on the internet ( www.nigeriavillagesquare.com). It is authored by me, this writer, Reuben Abati, in a weekly column titled Crossroads.
Intellectual theft is criminal, dishonest and absolutely indefensible. No responsible publication or writer should be associated with it.
I am outraged that you will brazenly steal my thoughts and words verbatim and put your name to them. If you liked the piece so much, the least you could have done should have been to acknowledge the author and attribute the material appropriately. I will appreciate your setting the records straight by correcting the error that your inappropriate use of my material has created. What you have done is wrong.
Reuben Abati, Ph.D

Anonymous said...

Response from Prince Prah
“Intellectual theft is criminal, dishonest and absolutely indefensible. No responsible publication or writer should be associated with it”, this I agree.
I have been a regular contributor to feature articles on Ghanaweb; however, someone hypocritically cloned my email and sent an article purported to have come from me.
This is not the first time though because a lot of features and stories have been attributed to me when am not the author, those I write are sometimes not sourced to me whilst other websites do.
I was informed on Friday by a friend through a mail that a South African newspaper has attributed comments to me which I found very strange and asked for a copy to be mailed to me.
It is unfortunate I took the mention in that piece but it hurts when you write and somebody feeds on it without giving you credit.
I wish to sincerely apologize for any inconveniences the mischief maker might have caused.
Prince Prah

Anonymous said...

So, why are carrying the article on your blog as if it's your own? Barawo!

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr Prah,
Thanks for your letter which clears up this issue for all the people who have brought this to our attention; I assume you will be in touch with the web editor of the Ghanaweb site to have them correct this attribution and take down this piece which appears in your name.
We will run a matter of fact about this in Friday's paper, regarding the attribution, and will remove the reference in our story online.
Thanks, Tanya Tanya Pampalone | Associate Editor Mail & Guardian

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