If it hasn’t struck you yet, the similarities between African National Congress president Jacob Zuma and deposed, perhaps soon to be new, Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, are incredible.
Let’s start by looking at an article in the Times of London.
Anyone?
Thaksin is a Thai in exile, facing charges of corruption yet sealed a victory over the ruling junta as a result of his support from the rural poor and the urban working class.
Zuma was in exile, facing potential corruption charges and is perceived by many to have seized the ANC presidency through the support of the poor and urban working class.
Both are seen as populists and both triumphed over the middle classes.
Of course both are great singers as well — JZ through his rendition (nothing to do with the CIA or torture) of Umshini Wami and to be frank, Shinwatra … well the name says it all really. I would imagine that he can belt out a decent Bangkok Bankok, My Way and The Twelve Days of Nirvana.
Those who think that his ownership of Manchester City football club is coincidental have forgotten that the City faithful sing Blue Moon as their signature tune.
Those who think JZ’s relationship with fraud convict Schabir Shaik would leave him rattled are wrong — although it may well leave him on the High Court roll. Think of Bill Haley and the Comets or, more precisely here, “Comet the hour comet the charge sheet”.
While JZ has been deputy president of South Africa, Thaksin has been deputy prime minister of Thailand.
While Msholozi rues the day he ever mentioned a certain shower after sex, Thaksin may well rue the day he bought that shower from Maine Road, or is that just being catty? Mind you, Thaksin’s nickname in the press is Maeo.
Of course, both men have achieved stunning comebacks from seemingly impossible positions — JZ was relieved of his post as deputy president and was banished to the wilderness never to return while Thaksin was sent into exile by a military coup with the ruling junta setting up a probe to test allegations of corruption.
While Thaksin was having his assets frozen, JZ was freezing his assets off in an ANC wilderness.
Of course both men — despite achieving the impossible at the ballot box — may not ascend the throne: JZ on account of his trial and Thaksin due to the military’s desperation to keep him out.
Lest we forget, both JZ and Shinwatra have monarchs in the form of the King of Thailand and the Zulu King. We trust that they won’t fall foul of the pawn takes king rule: “No Republican candidate aspiring to the President of the United States of America shall wittingly or unwittingly (or half thereof) claim to have seen their father walk with Martin Luther King and thereafter claim that when they said it they were merely using a figure of speech“.
Mitt Eish!!! Mitt Eish!!! (This boy’s one klip from drifting off the political landscape).
In politics one needs to aZuma Thaksin and hope for the best — go large and go home.
A prince with dignity and determination
Prince Ngarambe’s goals are to become Rwanda’s first transgender model and to uplift the country’s youth
The EFF’s principles are unshakeable
Unlike the ANC, the core values of the freedom fighters do not change with each leader it elects
