Chaos, confusion, anger and helplessness mark the relationship South Africans now have with President Jacob Zuma. Last week's sacking of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene was but one of many instances of Zuma shafting the nation and then acting as if nothing had happened.For as long as Zuma continues to enjoy the complicity-by-silence of ANC members too afraid to rock the boat, ordinary South Africans are left high and dry.Leading voices in our political discourse have written to Zuma, severely criticising how he is managing the republic.It remains to be seen whether the ruling party will even flinch, let alone act.The ANC cannot brush society's concerns aside and still claim to be its leader.The open letter to Zuma states that confidence in the government is on the wane.The writers say that many developments, including the wasteful and corrupt spending on Zuma's private home in Nkandla, have poisoned our political climate.They say the strained relations between the executive and the judiciary give rise to serious concerns, as do the chaos and appalling corporate governance at the SABC, and the financial and corporate governance disarray at state-owned enterprises, including the SA Post Office and SAA.The issues rased by the group are not new- they are the daily diet of our media platforms and conversations.South Africans are talking about what troubles them today and are concerned about what lies ahead.It remains to be seen how the ANC and Zuma will explain themselves to the electorate ahead of the local government elections next year.South Africa, we can only hope, is fast approaching an era in which the running of the state tops the government's list of priorities, not party power and ideology...