South Africa's Elections

South Africa held elections this past Wednesday 22 April. Like the governmental system of the UK, people vote for a political party and that parties' presidential candidate becomes the next President of South Africa. It was pretty much a given that Jacob Zuma would become the next President. His party, the African National Congress has had a huge majority since 1994 when South Africa held its first free election and Nelson Mandela became president.

There has been lots and lots and lots of controversy surrounding Jacob Zuma. It has filled the newspapers, and new stations. It is so complicated and goes back years, but what I have been able to piece together is that is has a lot to do with arms deals made in the 1990s when he was deputy president to Thabo Mbeki. Corruption charges were put against him, he said he wanted his day in court to prove himself innocent, then did everything he could to avoid going to court. There was evidence that perhaps Thabo Mbeki and some people around him used their political power to alter the process so that Zuma would be charged. After lots and lots of drama, the charges were dropped two weeks before the election even though the National Prosecuting Authority said there was a very strong case against him but that the way the charges came to be was inappropriate. So it it all over? It may surface again.

In the States, I think this would ruin a political candidate. Even if they were acquitted, unless they were very charismatic (think Bill Clinton) it would basically ruin them. But here in Africa people are more forgiving of this sort of thing. It's a totally different mindset.

Another controversy with Zuma was the rape he was acquitted for awhile back. He had sex with an HIV positive woman, then in order to prevent himself from contracting HIV, he took a shower after having sex. Yes, that is right, TOOK A SHOWER TO PREVENT HIV. Umm....okay. I know this country has had some issues making the connection between HIV and AIDS (Mbeki denied there was a connection for years) but, come on! A well-known political cartoonist, Jonathan Shapiro ever since has drawn Zuma with a shower head attached to his head dripping water.

In fact, Zuma is suing Shapiro for defamation. Shapiro was an anti-apartheid activist and during the apartheid regime drew political satire criticizing their policies. Now that South Africa has a democracy, he criticizes those in power now. This is a political satirists job. Nelson Mandela understood this and didn't take it personally, but Zuma is different, he is more juvenile than Mandela.

In any case, he will now be South Africa's president. It's hard to say what changes there will be if any. People are frustrated with crime, inadequate housing, lack of jobs, and poor education. They were promised lots and lots of stuff in 1994 like free houses for everyone. Some people believed everyone would be given a bank account and washing machines would fall from the sky. This hasn't all happened of course. While some people have gotten free government houses, others have been on waiting lists for over 10 years.

The election went smoothly, just a few glitches with running out of papers and long long lines. A handful of election officials were arrested when found trying to stuff the ballot boxes, but there was no violence that I heard of. Zuma started celebrating before the announcement was made that he will be the next President. I read in the paper today he could possibly hold the most expensive inauguration in South African history.

Pope in Africa

The Pope was recently in Africa. His comments about how people should not use condoms in Africa does not go over well here with the high rate of HIV/AIDS. Thousands of lives are put into danger as a results of his comments.

Zapiro a cartoonist here published the following cartoon: