Scramble to repackage the Zuma brand a tad too difficult

06 May 2016 - 09:31 By DOMINIC MAHLANGU

Repackaging President Jacob Zuma is proving to be the most difficult project for the ANC as he faces opposition on all fronts.As head of state Zuma has been caught in legal battles with opposition parties and has spent a great deal of his time in office defending himself.Last month the Constitutional Court found that he failed to uphold his constitutional obligations and ordered that he pay back a reasonable portion of taxp ayers' money spent on non-security upgrades to his private home in Nkandla.This, and last week's Pretoria High Court ruling that the National Prosecuting Authority's decision to drop corruption charges against him in 2009 was "irrational", added to the discontent about his leadership.The decision whether to recharge him with 783 counts of corruption related to the arms deal now rests with NPA boss Shaun Abrahams.So far Zuma has survived but his room to manoeuvre is getting smaller every day. Voices of discontent from within the party are growing louder.Although ANC structures and several party elders are calling for a rethink about Zuma, Luthuli House has embarked on a bid to repackage and sell him - to an ever-increasing disbelieving populace - as a man the public should find credible and worthy of trust.The party is at pains to portray a united front behind its leader. Its media statements in the wake of damning judgments are what one ANC member labelled "a strategic spin".But those familiar with the repackaging project say it is proving to be a challenge. They say it would be easy to repackage Zuma once or twice a year but it is becoming a challenge to do so twice a month, in some instances."He's a difficult brand that has many dimensions. The ANC has to find a way of not only protecting its image but also to continue to give hope to our people, that all is not lost."What this means is that the ANC finds itself having to clean up after Zuma.With Julius Malema and his Economic Freedom Fighters not intending to shut up any time soon, new chief whip Jackson Mthembu has to always have a Plan B. His mission now is to give respect to parliamentary proceedings, especially when Zuma is in the House.He and Speaker Baleka Mbete find themselves having to shield the president from "hostility" from the opposition benches.Talk among those in the know in the party is that another strategy is to let Zuma stay and face the ridicule of the opposition.From this week's parliamentary sitting it is clear that the opposition is not going to let up.The EFF argues Zuma should not address parliament because he failed to uphold his constitutional obligations and faces reinstatement of corruption charges.They have vowed to disrupt proceedings whenever Zuma is in the National Assembly.According to parliamentary rules, Zuma has to appear before the House five times a year - to deliver the Presidency's budget vote and on four other occasions to answer questions from MPs.Wednesday saw the first of these appearances when Zuma delivered his budget vote.And true to its word the EFF disrupted proceedings and Mbete called for the EFF to leave the house. When the party's MPs refused, they were forcibly ejected.Yes, Zuma continued with his speech. Instead of news articles reflecting the content of his speech, the ejection of the EFF dominated news feeds and discussions.Mbete has been ridiculed for her perceived role in protecting Zuma. But what if this is all part of a strategy to convince an arrogant leader that he is more of a liability to the party and its future?It is either this or the ANC believes there is absolutely nothing wrong with the status quo...

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