In the United States Ronald Reagan used to be referred to as “The Teflon President” because no matter what befell his administration or what mistakes he made or what failures he had, nothing seemed to stick. It appears that South African President Jacob Zuma has his own non-stick sheen. Despite myriad personal controversies and political scandals, Zuma’s popularity ratings have rebounded.
I suppose there are multiple explanations, all of which contribute to the larger truth. Zuma has always had the populist touch, and like Reagan, people simply like him. South Africans are inclined to support the ANC, and as a result, to support its leader (you could ask Thabo Mbeki about that one, although I suspect that Mbeki would have won re-election to a third term had he been given the opportunity, such being the strength of the ANC brand.) People have a hard time discerning where Zuma’s failings are political and where they are personal — for many his failings actually humanize him. And maybe Zuma is getting a bit of a World Cup bounce. Whatever the reason, Zuma seems to be the new Teflon President.