Mother Nature deigns that when a baboon reaches a certain age, it is hounded out of the troop and left to its own devices to die in loneliness. That’s the law of the jungle, and seems extremely cruel.
However, in humans there comes a time when we need to understand the time to exit the stage. It happens to athletes such as soccer stars. There comes a time when your legs can no longer run fast enough to chase the pigskin. It also happens to boxers when their hand movement is slower and it’s no longer worth it to enter the ring. In fact, the reluctance to hang up the gloves sometimes ends tragically as many who defy time end up being hurt.
The same applies to politicians. Power is delirious and some people just never get the message that the time has arrived to pass the baton.
In South Africa we are lucky that we never had a Mobutu Sese Seko or a Robert Mugabe who felt entitled to rule until they expire. It is said that sometimes it is better to quit while you are ahead and your legacy is intact.
Sadly, one Nkandla family seems not to have gotten the memo. Former president Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma disgraced himself when he refused to bow out when he was recalled by the ANC. He insisted he had not been given reasons to step down even as evidence abounded that he had taken the country and his party down the drain.
“What have I done?” he kept asking in a televised interview until reason prevailed, and he resigned ahead of the end of his term.
He tried and failed to have his former wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, succeed him five years ago. It was understood to be a ploy to protect him from prosecution for his brushes with the law. It failed because ours is a democracy where dynasties are shunned.
Last year, his son Duduzane raised his hand and claimed he wanted to follow in his footsteps and bid for the ANC presidency despite his lack of political acumen and experience. His twang was unconvincing and his donation of food parcels failed to garner enough support.
As the December ANC conference approaches, it emerged that Gedleyihlekisa wanted the position of the party’s influential chairmanship but left it too late.
Ordinarily, Gedleyihlekisa would have retired to his humble abode of rondavels and firepool but clearly the old man believes he still has something to offer.
Mr Zuma, sir, please stop with your shenanigans and disappear gracefully because your antics are embarrassing.
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