Two stories have featured heavily in the local media over the last week and a bit - the arrest of Sheryl Cwele, and the news that Jacob Zuma has fathered another child.
Sheryl Cwele’s story goes back two years, to the arrest of Tessa Beetge in South America with 9kg of cocaine in her luggage. Allegations way back then already implicated Sheryl, with the mother of Tessa producing e-mail and text messages. Following her arrest she has filed a bail application which is being opposed by the State who have rightly labeled her a flight risk – she claimed to only have a temporary passport, but a query to Home Affairs showed she has 4 identity documents, 3 passports and 1 temporary passport. You have to love it when someone proclaims innocence, but is then caught out lying over something else, really speaks volumes about their integrity.
Then you have the small bit about her husband being the State Security Minister and supposedly having no idea of his wife’s shady activities. We are faced with two scenarios, and neither one is reassuring. Either he is lying, or he really had no idea. Whichever it is, one cannot help but ask should he remain in charge of State Security?
Moving on to Zuma, South Africa’s own one-man baby factory. It has only recently come to light that the 67-year old leader has fathered yet another child, his 20th. First we are told it was born out of wedlock, then we are told that they are actually married under customary law. The truth will out, as they say, but until then the story continues to generate heated debate. On the one side you have political allies and sympathisers who call for everyone to respect his privacy, oblivious to the fact that since he is the President of South Africa, and supported by our taxes, we have a fairly legitimate right to know what he is doing. This is especially true when his behaviour is in stark contrast to what he encourages – i.e. be faithful to partners and to ‘condomise’.
The ANCYL doesn’t seem to think his behaviour has compromised their safe-sex campaign, which beggars belief; but then they are the same group calling for the nationalisation of all mining operations and the Reserve Bank.
Both of these stories will continue to be featured prominently in the local media until the next politician, or highly placed person, does something embarrassing. This being South Africa that should be in the next week, two at the most.
