Zuma currying favour with Mugabe?

SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma who faces crucial elections in May could be attempting to curry favour with President Robert Mugabe after he cancelled several key obligations at home and abroad to create time to attend Bona Mugabe's wedding last Saturday.

Apparently Zuma cancelled at the eleventh hour a "working visit" to the United Kingdom from Sunday to Tuesday, which would have included a memorial service for Nelson Mandela that had been scheduled for last Monday saying he "was too busy". Although Zuma spokesperson Mac Maharaj has since denied it was so, this has been viewed as a snub, not only to the late Mandela's memory and family, but also to Queen Elizabeth who graced the occasion at Westminster Abbey in London.

Yet, the date of the memorial service had had to be re-scheduled from the original February date to March 3, to accommodate Zuma, who had been due to make his annual state of the nation address at around the same time.

"He has sent the second-highest office (Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe) and two ministers to London… This is not a snub, people are wrong," Maharaj was quoted as saying at the weekend.

Zuma, whose relations with President Mugabe soured during the inclusive government when he acted as guarantor of the Global Political Agreement on behalf of the Southern African Development Community, seems to be trying to worm his way towards the revolutionary leader and his Zanu-PF party. Although Zanu-PF and Zuma's African National Congress (ANC) party share a common revolutionary history, the former has shown somewhat of a leaning for Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who has been accused in his own country of emulating President Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party.

Malema himself has on occasion spoken in favour of President Mugabe and his policies particularly the land reform programme which re-distributed land from the minority whites to the black majority. Expelled from the ANC in 2012 for sowing divisions within the party, Malema has remained a thorn in Zuma's side, taking regular and embarrassing swipes at the embattled leader.

In recent months, Zuma has faced intense criticism from within and without his party for allegedly using state funds to built security systems at his rural family home in Inkandla. By hobnobbing with Malema's perceived "friends" at the wedding of President Mugabe's daughter, analysts say this could be a strategic move on the South African leader's part to renew the ANC's revolutionary vows with Zanu-PF.

"This is an invitation by a neighbouring state which South Africa found important to honour. Obviously there were some strategic considerations to be made on the part of South Africa including of course the relationship between ANC and Zanu-PF," said political analyst, Earnest Mudzengi.

"I am sure it was important for them to consider the relationship between the two parties especially ahead of polls in South Africa. However, in any case, as you know, Zimbabwe is very important to South Africa." Obert Gutu, Movement for Democratic Change Harare provincial spokesperson and political analyst agrees that Zuma's visit might have had something to do with getting closer to Zanu-PF at a time when he is most vulnerable.

"President Jacob Zuma's political star has seen better days. The man is embroiled in the messy Inkandla homestead corruption scandal and generally his brand has been battered and bruised. He is terrified about the rising popularity of Julius Malema's radical EFF amongst the majority of the poor black youths and he had to rush to attend the wedding as some kind of public relations exercise so that Zanu-PF will not be seen to be closer to EFF than to the ANC," Gutu said, adding, "To say the least Zuma's body language as shown on ZTV live coverage betrayed the image of a man who was physically present but mentally absent."

But Takura Zhangazha, another political analyst, believes it could have been nothing more than neighbourly courtesy and stately respect. "It is most likely common courtesy and a demonstration of respect which is expected in return," Zhangazha said.

Zuma is one of three, out of reportedly 18 heads of state who were invited to Bona's lavish nuptials.  Zambia's President Michael Sata and Equatorial Guinea Head of State Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo also attended the wedding.