Zuma and his women just need our prayers

From the economic forum in Davos to the ends of the earth, South African President Jacob Zuma’s difficulty with keeping it zipped up has invited wrath and mockery – and, in equal measure, the admiration of those who wonder how he carries it off in this day and age.

The father of 20 flaunts his extra-marital affairs. He also seems to enjoy an unlimited capacity for conspiracy with women eager to join the wifely queue, to the dismay of anti-HIV/Aids crusaders – whose “Abstinence, Be faithful and Condoms” campaign he and his romantic interests have shot to pieces.

We have focused almost entirely, though, on Mr President at the expense of his partners, most of them well past the raging hormones stage of life. If he has behaved shockingly for a man at the steering wheel of the powerhouse of Africa, his partners are not far behind.

It takes two to tango, even when the drama will inevitably end like the mating dance of the praying mantis, in which she ends up eating him. It is a cautionary tale that should occupy the mind of today’s playboy who insists on working the field like an out-of-control teenager.

I hold no brief for Mr Zuma. He deserves all the bricks that have been thrown at him. The conduct of his private life raises serious questions about his sense of judgement and, on one occasion at least, has bordered on the criminal.

South Africa has one of the highest HIV/Aids rates on the continent, which should preoccupy any leader worth his salt. Mr Zuma has, instead, thrown caution to the wind and got away with it too often for comfort.

Welcome to the world of the African Big Man. The line between conventional power and that which is played out south of the belt is often blurred.

Mr Zuma is in good company. Unlike some, though, he does not get worked up every time it comes up in conversation, though a hefty dose of modesty would not be misplaced. And his fascination with the glory of the female form pales in comparison with that of King Mswati of Swaziland.

Maybe the women he chooses to hit on should be grateful for small mercies. You always know you are just his latest squeeze. He will probably treat you like a queen – until the next stunning woman comes along.

And his growing harem is clearly content to bask in the glory of being in such intimate proximity to power.

Those who have lost more relatives to HIV/Aids than they care to count must be appalled that a man of such stature should be so reckless about a condition that has wreaked so much devastation.

The campaign against HIV/AIDS has been built around trust and fidelity. Mr Zuma’s casual attitude towards unprotected sex, even after he publicly owned up to “consensual” sex with the HIV-positive daughter of a friend, reeks of betrayal and irresponsibility.

It goes beyond what his African National Congress party dismisses with the remark that everyone is entitled to their-private life.

His latest conquest is the daughter of a comrade-in-arms who is himself several years younger than the president. She has a baby with him. No wonder her mother was not “excited”.

Presidents ought to be the symbol of national aspirations. In Africa, they would qualify for comic relief if the consequences of their leadership were not so dire.

We expect them to lead from the front. What we get for our trouble is a leadership pattern that is, with a few exceptions, messy and tiresome.

Where there are promiscuous men, there are women all too willing to boost their egos – especially when money and power are thrown in. They do not even need marriage certificates or bride price to authenticate the relationships.

These men have not evolved much from the days of our great-great-grandfathers, despite the veneer of modernity. But that is no excuse to let off the hook the parade of women who are ready to risk life and limb to join them in the let’s-spit-in-the-face-of-fate game.

In Davos, Mr Zuma’s remark that he treated all his wives equally was greeted with laughter. It, hopefully, was of the sceptical kind, but you never know with these things. Bill Clinton survived Gennifer Flowers and Monica Lewinsky, after all.

Morals in leadership have been stretched thin in our part of the world, aided by a warped outlook that makes heroes of people who should be sent packing and made to pay heavily for their indiscretions. There is the question, of course, of who will throw the first stone.

There is a season for a saucy smile and a wink, and a time to just stroll along and enjoy the scenery. The consequences of spreading yourself too thin on the ground are inevitably distressing and counter-productive for anyone not of Zuma’s mettle.

oriang.lucy@gmail.com