‘Broken’ Zuma bounces back

A confident President Jacob Zuma sought to assure the nation that the man in charge of the country was not a “broken man”.

In his response to debate on his state of the nation address, he gave statesman-like replies to criticism levelled at him by the opposition.

Zuma allayed fears within minority groups – especially the Afrikaner community – that there were no moves to drive them out of the country.

But he emphasised the importance of teaching the youth about the country’s political history. In a rare moment, Zuma also complimented his political foes – rather than hitting back – for their positive criticism during the debate.

Some were mentioned by name – except for official opposition leader Mmusi Maimane who on Tuesday mounted a vicious attack on Zuma in which he called the president a “broken man, presiding over a broken society”.

Zuma at times departed from his written speech to reflect on the country’s history in an attempt to explain why he had earlier said the country’s problems started with the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck.

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder on Wednesday accused Zuma of playing “scapegoat politics” by blaming government failures on the past and treating Afrikaners with disdain.

“We’re all South African citizens, we’re a rainbow nation and nobody will chase you away.

“We’ll fight against those who will say so – so there must be no fear at all,” said Zuma. “I just want to make this point clear, that we’ll never stop talking about the history because our children must know where we come from so that coming generations should not repeat the mistakes of the past.

“I thought it’s important to make this point clearer because when I make it in passing people think this man is racist, I will never be racist – I fight against those who suppress the minorities.”

Zuma then moved to praise his detractors in the National Assembly such as the EFF leader Julius Malema and his COPE counterpart Mosioua Lekota, complimenting them on their positive inputs during the two day debate.

However, Zuma slammed MPs for behaving badly in parliament.

He said the national legislature was not a war zone but a forum to debate issues of national interest.

Zuma applauded veteran MP and IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi for reprimanding warring MPs in the last two days, saying he was the institution’s father figure.