Zuma’s Crocodile Tears Make Way for World Cup Visitors

Zuma’s Crocodile Tears Make Way for World Cup Visitors

Jacob Zuma visited Balfour about two weeks ago, for the second time, where there were some of the most militant service delivery protest last year in July 2009 and even this year. The first time when he was in Balfour, he said he was there to investigate for himself what is happening. This time around, when he was there he said he is there also to investigate. So, for how long will Jacob Zuma be investigating rather than taking an action? It makes me wonder whether he was not trying to cool the people of Balfour and others that he visited so that service delivery protests don’t erupt. When it erupted in Balfour this year, almost the entire country was burning as a result. That was just a desperate measure for Jacob Zuma to come to Balfour without a proper programme to improve our lives. That’s why he was booed by the masses that day. We patiently waited for him, but he gave us nothing tangible.

Jacob Zuma has been going around the country to the most militant and dissatisfied areas to make sure that, come the world cup tournament, marginalised people don’t protest and embarrass South Africa in front of an international media spot light. What he is doing is like locking your children in a room so that they don’t cry that they are hungry in front of a guest. He actually just wants service delivery protests not to erupt when the rest of the world is in our country. We have seen Zuma visiting squatter camps and other dilapidated areas where people eat left-overs from the dustbin of the rich. He was using the same strategy the former president Mbeki was using when campaigning for election, promising people heaven and earth.

Zuma almost cried, so he said, when visiting our townships… Where have you been all these years Zuma? Is he not coming from Enkandla? Does he not know that people live in a mad house and go to bed with an empty stomach in Enkandla and many other places he has not visited? Has he never ever noticed people on the side of the street begging for money and food? Ok, I just forgot he is moving around with a siren and blue lights on his car. That was crocodile tears.

Lifu Nhlapo: Activist and Researcher from Balfour

Cell: 072 999 6869