Helen Zille: Zuma And I Were Arch Political Opponents, But He Was Unfailingly Warm and Humane To Me

HELEN ZILLE|

THERE is an old saying: There is no honourable end to a political career. It is either death or disgrace. I thought a lot about this, as the whole world (including the South African media) piled scorn on former President Zuma, who wakes up this morning in his cell in the correctional facility at Estcourt, KwaZulu Natal.

Eleven short years ago, he swept to power on a wave of Zumaphoria akin to the Ramaphoria of 2019 — until it all went so horribly wrong.

During his Presidency, I got to know Zuma, the man (rather than the politician), reasonably well, and had many personal interactions with him outside the political arena. This is what I reflect on today.

Before my words get twisted and misinterpreted, let me state the obvious: contempt of the Constitutional Court, especially by a former President, deserves a jail sentence. Millions of words have