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Jacob Zuma gets a B grade for his rule in South Africa

Successes of the year:

 

Zuma joined Twitter in 2011 to become one of the few African leaders who joined the social network. An anti-graft activist withdrew a multi-billion dollar military contract suit that had haunted Jacob Zuma’s administration for years. He faced rising opposition championed by African National Congress (ANC) youth leader Julius Malema. However,Mr. Malema was slapped with a fiveyear suspension after he was accused of provoking divisions within the ANC.

Failures of 2011:

Zuma’s meditation skills are certainly not his forte. His talks with Gaddafi in May failed to bring about progress towards an end to Libya’s conflict, whilst his mediation talks between Zimbabwe’s main rival parties have once more ended with calls for him to be relieved of this position. Strong allegations were made against the ANC in the year: Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and head of the South African Communist Party, said the ruling party is plagued by perpetual leadership  battles funded by dirty money. The party was also criticised for the controversial “Protection of State Information Bill” (also called the Secrecy Bill) that it pushed though parliament – activists and editors say will stifle investigative journalism.  Zuma’s government came in for strong criticism, and protests, after it failed to give the Dalai Lama a visa to attend the 80th birthday celebrations of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Moment of the year:
When Zuma warned voters they risked sparking their ancestor’s wrath unless they chose the African National Congress party in May’s elections.
Mo Ibrahim Index: 70.6 (5/53)
Democracy Index: 7.79
Press Freedom Index: 33 (partly free)
Corruption Index: 4.5 (54/183)
(medium)Human Development Index: 0.619

NMG Grade: 6/10
2010 Grade: B+ 2011 Grade: B

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