Zuma is the last great South African hope

The advent of the Jacob Zuma presidency marks an important turning point in the meaning of freedom and democracy in South Africa. Whatever the know-all political experts and analysts may say, it will be the most important five years in the history of the liberation struggle, especially the ANC.

This period will be characterised by two defining moments:
• In 2012 the ANC turns 100 years.
• 2014 will signify 20 years since freedom, a time when the natives become restless.

Simply put, the Zuma term is what is destined to make or break us.

The last 15 years of transformation or transition have not exactly delivered anything concrete or convincing for the great African masses. There have been great strides in housing, education, health and opportunities but this was not accompanied by significant changes in the economy, social engineering or perceived white domination.

The 350 000 blacks — depending on whose figures you believe — who make up the exaggerated middle class do not constitute complete transformation.

Now that we have reached the point of no return in the effort to satisfy the aspirations and hopes of the great African masses, it is very important for all of us to support the new president.

It should be stressed that the success or failure of South Africa can only happen in the next five years. Everything else that has happened before, including the Madiba Magic years, were only a foundation for this climax in the Zuma years.

These are the five years, 2009 — 2014, that will tell and inform the disgruntled natives at the gate whether it has been worthwhile to support democracy or not.

The next five years are unusually important, too, because it is the very first time that an opposition party has come from the ranks of the ANC in government and the perceived white DA is making inroads into the great African masses.

Thus from Saturday, when Zuma is sworn in as president, it is going to be trying times not only for the ANC as the superpower but the country as a whole.

The extraordinary importance of the Zuma presidency is not only that it was willed and called for by the people but that it is what will define the success or failure of democracy.

The need for the Zuma government to succeed exists in all our consciousness because by now we all know that we cannot continue with rampant poverty, economic justice and inequality.

The natives who could afford to take the power to change their circumstances into their own hands have resorted to using the democratic way of looking up to Zuma to deliver them from systemic evil.

Perhaps what we need to remind ourselves of is that, obviously, because of his character and background, Zuma is going to be an enigma to the political experts and analysts.

In fact, his rise marks an important change in how to judge an African leader. This is a truly African man who is rooted in his language, culture, customs and traditions which are foreign to Western minds. Thus the programme of complete disorder he needs to usher in will be intuitively connected to the great African masses while it completely throws off Western minds.

But we are in Africa, after all, and the magic of Zuma lies in the fact that he epitomises the plight of the great African masses and how they can transform themselves given a chance.

Much as Zuma will be expected to speak English, wear a Western suit and eat with a fork and knife on Saturday, it must be made clear to the whole world that for him and South Africa to succeed, he will have to be left to do things the African way. This is the only chance, the very last five years that will see this country pulled back from the brink.

Perhaps those who do not know or understand Zuma and the crucial importance of his role in the next five years must just accept that he has always been unintelligible to Western minds. It is true that they have not truly understood how he could have bounced back after so many traumas.

But he has simply come back … to save South Africa from itself. We are at that moment where we observe the meeting of two forces which have always been opposed to each other. Former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki have played a great role in keeping the nation together. But their glue has always suffered from the increasing heat of the impatience of the great African masses. For the majority of the natives, the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. But Zuma is that figure who has been put into power by the people to make a noticeable difference.

In fact, those of us who fail to pray for him or support his efforts to make this nation work will be doing so at their own peril. Time is fast running out for us to, once and for all, do away with the economic injustice and inequality that runs rampant in this beautiful land that no man can enjoy.

Over the last seven years of persecution, we have observed how the Zuma tsunami has not gone unnoticed except to those who are blind. It has reached that point now where it must be transformed into a collective positive energy that will give hope and realise the aspirations of the great African majority.

The grandiose glare of history’s floodlights will be on Gedleyihlekisa as he takes his oath. This is the man who needs all our support to get this nation into rhythm as we prepare to sing and dance in 2010 and beyond.

He dare not fail as he has been handpicked by history to be the man who takes us into the great crossing. But this he will not be able to do alone, he will need the support of each and every South African patriot.

The next five years will either make or break the political domination of the ANC. And when the ANC falls apart, so does this nation.

Let us help Zuma make South Africa succeed lest we perish as fools.