In Defense of Zuma: Xolela Mangcu’s The Democratic Moment Launched

November 6th, 2009 by Thando

Xolela Mangcu has been deemed a public intellectual for his ability to provoke South Africans into thinking differently, with new eyes and, often, open hearts.

Mangcu’s new book, The Democratic Moment: South Africa’s prospects under Jacob Zuma, is sure to push us in a new direction, meanwhile, when evaluating our thoughts and prejudices towards Jacob Zuma.

Certainly, Business Day editor Peter Bruce, who introduced Mangcu at the launch, intimated that he was moved by the author to think differently about Zuma, as well as to reconsider how South Africa’s institutions like the judiciary system and the media, as well as external factors like the state of our environment, will evolve under the president.

Mangcu said that his often controversial opinions had lost favour with other newspapers, but that the Business Day gave him the space to express himself, despite his outspokenness. One such opinion being that the media portray Zuma in a negative light, without questioning their own prejudices and their own frames of reference.

In his speech, Mangcu explained that he approached the book in a “sociological manner” – finding himself to be out of touch, he deliberately sought interaction with the realities of South Africa and its overwhelming support for Zuma. He asked himself, like most middle- and upper-class people, why a ‘”flawed” man like Zuma could be elected. “We don’t like the idea of the great unwashed leading the nation,” he said.

Mangcu explained that in fact we do not judge Zuma in terms of his race, class or lack of formal education – but rather that he offends our sensibilities. Ideas such as “Kill for Zuma” and “Bring me my machine gun” and other discourse shocks us, and we turn negative.

After explaining what each section of his book entailed, Mangcu stepped down from the podium to sign copies. Many said they looked forward to reading it – in the hopes that it would help them have more faith in the SA’s democratic system.

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