THE latest revelation about President Jacob Zuma fathering his 20th
child seems to have not escaped the pages of international media titles.
This week Kenyan TV channel, NTV, posted a video – Zuma’s love child
controversy – on the matter on You Tube. The video makes mention of the high HIV
statistics in South Africa and Zuma’s controversial shower statement during his
2006 rape trail.
NTV’s
reporter ends the video by saying: “safe to say, all his close friends and
cabinet members will be watching their daughters’ movements closely from now
on”.
In the UK’s Telegraph website, an article with the headline
“Zuma’s love child provokes debate on polygamy in South Africa” was followed by
the following comments.
“This culture excuse is the new thing the ANC use to act with
impunity... (The) World, do not be fooled by this as you watch South Africa
become a failed state...” Semakaleng Miya.
“Typical Banana Republic,” James.
“Zuma’s behaviour and attitude fly in the face of many important
issues: the treatment of women, the need to limit population growth, and of
course the need to deal with Aids which is killing 1?000 people a day and often
the most productive in society. Using culture as an excuse is facile,” Betty
Caplan.
The Telegraph reports that a TNS Global Market
Research survey, conducted last month, “found that 74% (of the 2?000 South
Africans they interviewed) feel that it is a problem for a man to have more than
one wife at a time”.
THE Zuma love child controversy saga also made it to the top of The Namibian’s notable
quotes list. The following are some of the leading quotes in the
newspaper.
“Forget the presidential motorcade, we’ll need a “buscade” at the
rate he’s going,” Anonymous.
“As the ANC, we have always made a distinction between people’s
personal affairs and their public responsibilities,” the ANC spokesperson Brian
Mthembu.
“Why does our president display such stereotypical bad behaviour of
a randy black womaniser? I feel ashamed. (He is) Making babies like South Africa
does not have a huge HIV/Aids problem coupled with gender problems. How are the
youth expected to behave?” - Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale’s niece
Kananelo Sexwale. The comment was posted on Facebook. She later apologised for
her comments.
“We are Africans and sitting here all of us, Zuma is our father so
we are not qualified to talk about that,” – ANC Youth League president Julius
Malema.