Is Zuma Jnr the new man for the new age?

There are a number of ways to look at the news that Jacob Zuma’s son, Duduzane, has his eyes on the presidency. Whichever one you choose, though, you cannot simply dismiss him and his ambitions out of hand.

To many, the privileged scion of a man accused of being at the centre of the state capture project is just trying to get close to the corruption feeding trough, to continue living the wealthy lifestyle to which he has become accustomed.

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To others, though, he has a message which resonates. And those others may be people from diverse backgrounds.

His words echo what many are saying: the ANC is destroying the country and the once glorious liberation movement is well past its sell-by date.

The junior Zuma also has youth on his side. And young people in this country are, at the moment, getting increasingly angry. They see a gerontocracy running South Africa as a reward for their supposedly deep sacrifices in the struggle to liberate the country.

They see crippling unemployment. Their dreams are dying.

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Another thing going for the “Duduzane for President” campaign is the increasingly poor performance of the incumbent, Cyril Ramaphosa, who is becoming a political absentee landlord, whose promises are seldom, if ever, fulfilled.

And the worse Ramaphosa does, the easier it is for people to forget about the depredations of the Jacob Zuma era.

The younger Zuma is politically astute in turning his back on the political movement which has been his father’s home – for better or for worse – all his life. Had he tried to make his way through the morass of the ANC’s hierarchies and its competing factions, he would have soon been swallowed up.

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As it stands now, though, he can present himself as the new man for the new age. His baggage will be irrelevant for many.