Justice equals prosecuting Zuma?

If media statements from political parties and editorial comments reacting to the NPA’s decision to withdraw charges against JZ are anything to go by, South Africa is in trouble. Almost all parties and editorials alike agree that dropping charges against Zuma is “unjust” and is a product of pressure from the ANC. It is interesting how “justice” and “equality” have been reduced to meaningless words in our country, particularly in relation to Zuma. These attempts are meant to weaken, not strengthen our justice system.

Who can stand up and authenticate the information on Zuma’s case in the face of such conspiracies? Who can attest in a court of law that the information the NPA has on Zuma was not meddled with? Who can confidently say important parts of this information were not cooked so as to bolster an otherwise weak case? If the NPA won’t be able to say this in court, why should it even bother prosecuting Zuma?

Journalists, politicians, judges, lawyers, all of whom have benefited from the patronage networks of Thabo Mbeki’s regime and those that did not benefit and still see no signs of benefiting under a Zuma administration, will do all in their capacity to paint a picture of a South Africa on the verge of collapse simply because of Zuma’s non-prosecution. These same people were absent and quiet when the NPA granted a plea bargain to Mark Thatcher who was accused of plotting a war. These same people kept quiet when the NPA gave plea bargains to criminals so as to open the way to prosecute McBride.

It is interesting that the self-acclaimed defenders of justice will threaten the entire country simply because they want the arrest of a man who is accused of having received kickbacks from secondary contracts in the arms deal. What about those who are believed to have benefited from primary contracts and apparently raked millions? Is it because they are not presidential candidates of the ANC? Is this about justice or is it simply about Zuma — president of the ANC.

Cope must save itself the embarrassment and keep quiet. They go on about the need to charge Zuma and to investigate wrongdoers. Cope is not serious about this. Of course, no clever organization would allow itself to ignore this matter, Cope is no exception. It was clever enough not to appear as disagreeing with the process, so they decided to put it in their press statement that all those found to have conspired against Zuma must be investigated. If Cope is serious about its statements, let it be bold enough to open cases like the ID has done. Press statements do not investigate anything, they are statements, nothing more, nothing less.

Only heartless and valueless individuals such as the leadership of the DA would refuse to step back and feel empathy for this old man who has had an entire institution such as the NPA manipulated simply to stop him from contesting Mbeki in what was supposed to be a democratic affair in Polokwane. Probably the DA is just campaigning for elections and does not really care about justice or equality. Oh please! The DA and its lap dogs must leave us alone with their half-baked justice!

Media institutions have a nerve, particularly the Sunday Times and City Press that made it their business to prosecute Zuma. Ever since Zuma began making claims of a political conspiracy he has been cartooned and caricatured with the intention of persuading newspaper readers not to take him seriously when he made these claims.

Did the media ever acknowledge that it was wrong for not lending an ear to this man’s claims. They continued profiling anonymous sources whose information was proven on many occasions to be false? Instead of doing the honourable thing and accepting wrong judgement on its part, the media act as though nothing happened and attempt to find fault in others. It does not take a rocket scientist to notice that something was seriously off-beam with the NPA’s treatment of JZ.

Media institutions constantly allege that Zuma’s credibility took a serious blow as a result of the investigation against him. Zuma’s win at Polokwane and the rallies the ANC has held thus far prove that it is actually the media that has taken a huge credibility knock in the eyes of ordinary South Africans. They have ignored negative media reports about Zuma and continued supporting him regardless of the negative coverage he receives. Newspaper editors should take it as a serious sign of lack of support if South Africans ignored repeated calls by the media to shirk Zuma and the ANC for as long as eight years.

Actually most of us buy some newspapers simply because we do not have a choice, if we do not buy them, we will not know the lies they feed South Africans masked by anonymous sources and informers. Of course there are some newspapers who despite their prejudices have attempted to report fairly and at times honestly but they are simply a drop in the ocean.

We have been treated with derision for far too long. We can only take it this much. Of course, we will not act violently to show our anger. We will deliver our anger to the polls when we prove to the DA and its lap dogs that we will vote for the ANC despite the unfavourable media coverage we have received thus far!

Of course this is not to suggest that I have changed my views on what should be done about the arms deal. Let me repeat myself once more. If this arms deal is not re-opened for fresh investigation, South Africa will never have peace of mind. Those that have been arrested and found guilty on the arms deal I believe are nothing but a footnote in an entire book of looting and heartless accumulation. Looting cannot be blamed on the ANC. It is a fault of the current economic system, which encourages personal enrichment rather than societal economic survival. Liberation movements will always breed economic opportunists so long as the state offers economic opportunities.