Zuma shits on the nation
Hopes the JZ might actually resign in a surprise address of the nation on Friday evening were quickly dashed as the President whitewashed his actions with weak excuses. Hogwash like “It was never my intention not to comply with the remedial action” might almost have been funny– except that only Zuma himself could laugh at a reality in which the President of the land flouts the constitution. In promising to abide by the ruling, Zuma was also saying that he would not heed calls to step down. ‘Man of the people’ has become the ultimate irony.

Victory lap for the rule of law
Zuma’s ‘apology’ came after the Constitutional Court’s Thursday ruling on Nkandla. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng found that President Zuma acted in breach of his obligations firstly by allowing the non-security related upgrades; and secondly by failing to comply with the Public Protector’s remedial actions. Zuma in his speech capitalised on the implied possibility that he may have been following incorrect legal advice when he ignored Thuli’s findings. What is clear though, is that the shroud of seeming invincibility has been pulled from Zuma’s shoulders. 

KPMG backs away from the Guptas
With everyone’s eyes on Zuma and the disgraced National Assembly, KPMG on Friday neatly ducked out from under its position as auditors for the Gupta family companies. KPMG Southern Africa CEO Trevor Hoole noted astutely, “the association risk is too great for us to continue”. 

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