Zuma and cronies stoop to new low

By now, Jacob Zuma has shown that there are few places he won’t go … and few things he won’t do to wriggle out of ultimate accountability for allowing the state to be stolen from under the feet of the government and ordinary South Africans.

Now, he heads to court in an attempt to get a rescission of the judgment of the Constitutional Court that he be jailed for 15 months for his contempt of it – and hiscontempt for the entire judicial system, never mind the constitution of the land.

This, though, will be another of the countless fool’s errands he and his legal team have embarked on in the past two decades as he bids to avoid justice.

There is simply no procedure for appealing a rulingof the country’s apex court.

At the same time – and much more ominously – Zuma’s supporters are gathering, rattling their assegais and shields and even, in one case on social media, brandishing an AK assault rifle.

The message is clear: We will fight – and die – for Jacob Zuma.

There is no way this sort of “spontaneous” show of solidarity would continue without Zuma’s say-so – either explicit or implicit.

In so doing, the man from Nkandla is issuing an intimidating challenge to President Cyril Ramaphosa, the rest of the ANC and, indeed, every other South African: Arrest me and I will burn the house down around me.

This means that while the legal and constitutional victory over Zuma may have been complete, the political one is far from being secured.

The ANC, even under the so-called tough anti-corruption crusader Ramaphosa, has shown itself to be exceedingly timid in the face of any serious challenges.

It backs down regularly – to service delivery protesters, taxis, unions. Will its approach to a borderline treasonous old man be any different?