The Big Read: Praise Zuma not for his speeches but for his acts

Two weeks ago President Jacob Zuma hosted a lunch in Pretoria for editorial leaders - newspaper editors, political editors, heads of radio and television news - in Pretoria.

By most accounts he was urbane, charming, engaging and open. He was confident, healthy-looking and provided some choice sound bites.

"I have never been nervous in my life, never," he replied to a question about the EFF's planned disruptions of his State of the Nation speech.

The journalists emerged from the meeting singing Zuma's praises. The president is in charge, they said. There is hope that he can finally begin to deliver, others said.

The lunch was on Sunday February 8. Four days later many of the same journalists were in the press gallery of parliament when their cellphones were jammed by members of the secret service.

As you read this today, not a single person has been suspended, reprimanded or fired for such a flagrant violation of South Africans' right to see their democracy at work. We are told by State Security Minister David Mahlobo that it was all a glitch or, alternatively, that the signal was meant to jam nearby aircraft.

Really? So how does he explain the fact that he received a note from Cyril Ramaphosa and, voila, a few minutes later the signal was back on.

Where was Zuma, that week's man of action? He was giggling through all of it. Don't expect him to fire anyone for it, because he won't. On Friday he assured the SA National Editors' Forum that "it will never happen again".

I hope the good men and women of Sanef had the presence of mind to ask him what "it" was. Was it a "glitch" as the state security minister would have us believe? And how exactly would the president know that another glitch won't happen if it is all outside of his powers? The only reason why Zuma can give such an assurance is if he has control over the situation. Does he? I think so.

Here is the nub of the matter. Why is Zuma allowed to say whatever he likes and is applauded for saying one thing one minute and doing the exact opposite the next? It is because, since 2007, he has systematically been lowering the standard we should hold him and other leaders to. The bar is now at the lowest it has ever been. It is so low that soon Zuma will get a medal for rousing himself in the morning and getting to the office.

On Friday morning Zuma was once again being hailed for apparently giving a great speech in parliament. Oh, really? Another speech, eh?

Zuma gives a great speech when he feels the need to. His best speech was delivered in Polokwane, on December 20 2007, after he won the presidency of the ANC. As is his wont, he said one thing and did the exact opposite.

Addressing about 7000 delegates and guests, he said: "There is no reason for uncertainty or fear in any quarter. Comrade [Thabo] Mbeki and I, both as members of the ANC first and foremost, will develop smooth working relations between the government and the ruling party, assisted by the leadership collective."

Nine months later he unceremoniously kicked Mbeki out of office.

In that speech he also said: "We need to heal the ANC."

Today, across from him when he appears in the National Assembly, are COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota and EFF leader Julius Malema, proof positive of the hurt the ANC has gone through during his tenure.

Zuma, however, is not held to account for what he does. He is judged on just words, his many empty words, many meaning absolutely nothing.

It is worth focusing on the State of the Nation speech because it seems to me that there is a lot of nonsense being said about it. Why have all the people claiming that Zuma did well in the debate on his speech not asked him about fudging the unemployment numbers, claiming that unemployment has declined whereas, as the excellent website AfricaCheck has pointed out, it has increased?

As Cosatu leader Zwelinzima Vavi put it immediately after the chaotic State of the Nation speech, we have 8million people of working age unemployed in a country of 52million. The day we see these numbers decline will be the day Zuma should be applauded. But, hey, we like applauding speeches, not actions. So on Thursday, because Zuma chastised a right-wing leader over a point of history, he was a hero.

What about Zuma's commitment to protecting the institutions that protect our democracy? On Friday few asked why Police Minister Nathi Nhleko was desperate to get rid of Hawks head Anwa Dramat to the extent of ignoring not one but several court judgments. Why are Dramat and other good men and women targeted? Because they are asking questions about Nkandla.

Zuma deserves praise when he does good. IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi was right to congratulate the man for his work on HIV and Aids. But for the rest?

Zuma never seems to do anything. He just says he will do stuff. It's time we stopped being impressed by smooth words, and started engaging with him on what he actually does.