Building the Zuma brand

I was grateful for the time that Jacob Zuma gave me and for his honesty and openness to my questions. I now look at him in a different way, a vastly improved and more positive image than I had before.

However with that said, if I believed everything I heard then ANC policies, ANC structure, ANC committees, ANC caucus meetings and ANC voting would show that it is the ANC and not the individual who runs the country. Therefore should there be no place for a figurehead whose nose is head and shoulders above the rest of his herd?

I am sorry, Mr. President, but this simply would defy human behaviour. Like any other pack animal, and don?t think the human is not one; we all have this instinctual need to have one chief, one King, one President. What that Chief or King discusses with his court behind closed doors never really features in one?s head when he/she addressing the masses- merely some food for thought (and the masses) People will follow their ruler to the grave if he asked of it. That, more than anything is why people like Julius need to be spoken to, for all I know you might have had words with him already, let?s hope so.

Why Malema?

I found Zuma?s responses intelligent and sensical bar the ones regarding Julius Malema, ?he needs time to grow?? before I spat my response out, I thought of the way I would think were I in the President of the ANC?s shoes? These are the youngsters that the majority of our country seems to rally around, these are the people singing the praises of Jacob Zuma (well shouting actually, thank goodness, as I am not ready for Julius Malema to try singing his rendition of Umshimi Wami..), and these are the people who believe President Zuma is the people?s choice.

Think of the way you would feel when your child, who idolises you, did something wrong? You would say, ? Gawsh, I know it was wrong, but little Julius has a lot still to learn and his heart is in the right place, give him time.?

This does not condone Malema?s actions but it somehow resonates with me as a father and protector, and it?s admirable in a twisted politically nurturing way. One should never bite the hand that feeds us, and Zuma strikes me as the type of character that would not normally mince words here,but with the election just around the corner, he knows who he needs in his own corner to make it all go smoothly. Frankly he already has all his cupboards brimming with storage for the winter and well beyond (election time is only a mere nine months away!) that he need not bother about mincing anything or biting anyone.

Lets hope that once he is in Tuynhuis, he is going to clean up his house regarding the kids running a bit amok without the correct supervision. I am not referring to the man?s own grandchildren, who by my own admission are incredibly cute, I am referring to those who are being groomed to run the ANC/country within the next two decades, those are the ones worrying me.

Love him or loathe him, you have to admit that Jacob Zuma is a natural born marketer with a firm grasp of salesmanship, communications and branding. Just looking at his performance over the past year or so, it is clearly evident that he understands the basics of marketing far better than any other politician in this country, with the exception perhaps of Helen Zille.

The marketer in Zuma

The marketer in Zuma knows that it?s infinitely easier for a politician who is supported by the masses to gain the confidence of business than for a capitalist fat-cat who is supported by business to get the confidence of the masses, not to mention labour unions and so forth.

He knows just how much local and international business cosied up to everyone from Verwoerd to Vorster and even the late Krokodil, in spite of publicly beating their breasts about the iniquity of apartheid.

And while the media and his opponents don't miss any opportunities to wail and gnash their teeth at his rape charge, taking showers to prevent HIV/Aids and being accused of fraud and corruption, Zuma seems to know that his popularity is powerful enough and enjoys sufficient loyalty to make his supporters overlook his faults, no matter how glaring they may be to some.

Certainly the support he is receiving is proving that his "brand" has quite remarkable resilience.

There is no doubt that while the mass media, along with a handful of political analysts and probably the majority of whites in this country, can't abide Zuma and his provocative prancing and struggle invective, one has to admit that if he had left politics and gone into business like so many of his comrades be would probably be a billionaire today.

Let?s watch this space it?s going to be an interesting year ahead.

Robbie Stammers is the editor of Leadership.