Zuma's protectors value privilege above democracy

Has South Africa entered an age of unreason, in which the descendants of the brave have gone to sleep hoping to wake up to a different world?

Have we reached the stage at which reasoning and principle can be hijacked by influential groups whose continued enjoyment of the privileges of power depends on the survival of specific leaders?

This country is founded on the principles of justice and human rights, so why is our public space dominated by voices that go against all that we stand for?

Yesterday, a group calling itself the Public Members' Unit Team wrote to parliament offering to pay back the Nkandla money on behalf of President Jacob Zuma should it be decided that he is liable for a portion of the taxpayers' cash spent on the "security upgrades" at his private home.

The group's chairman, Vumelani Mchunu, said the handling and investigation of the Nkandla debacle was a disgrace.

"We, as the Public Members' Unit Team, feel that this issue has humiliated the president of the Republic of South Africa."

While everyone is entitled to stand by a friend when times are dark, we have a duty to ask why this group is willing to take the pain for Zuma.

If parliament entertains such groups and those who think that Zuma should be protected from accounting to the public, it will expose our constitution to outside influences.

The actions of those determined to ensure that Zuma does not take responsibility for the looting of public funds tells us that we have indeed entered the age of unreason.

Why then do we stand proudly and proclaim to the world that we are democrats?

How can we champion clean governance and the rule of law to our neighbours when we fail to hold our leaders responsible?

We should remember that we are descendants of brave men and women who were not afraid to stand for truth against a crowd convinced that its way was the only one.

Let us stop the downward slide and return to the world of reason.