The Zuma boo

Zuma got booed on world television. There seems to be two mindsets here. Some say he deserved it while the other viewpoint is that the memorial was not the time to do our laundry in public. I am with the first lot. Where are you?

If I may express my view with a poem:

A boo
Long overdu’

It can and will be criticised as tasteless by various factions, but so what? It’s already happened and can’t be undone. Politically, for those opposing Ol’ Showerhead, the jeering and heckling couldn’t have come at a better time or place. It was a well-attended state function with many foreign dignitaries who will not be ignoring that message, and in doing so probably undermine Ol’ Showerhead’s creds even further. The implicit criticism, i.e. that Ol’ Showerhead isn’t a shadow of Madiba, will not be lost on them either.

All in all, a well-seized opportunity for revealing people’s political sentiments towards this guvvermint, I think.

'Luthon64

An FB friend put it like this.

South Africans do not yet have the political maturity to distinguish between the OFFICE of the President of the Republic of South Africa and the person who occupies that OFFICE. You do not boo the holder of that OFFICE at a non political event of the stature of a memorial service for a former holder of that OFFICE. Americans in particular must have been horrified. They would not have considered booing Richard Nixon at an official function even at the height of the Watergate scandal. We will get there … baby steps

Americans are mature?

The mistake your friend makes is the demonstrably erroneous assumption that we are dealing with a guvvermint composed of reasonable, selfless and ethical people.

'Luthon64

The boo-ing was an expression of freedom of (a figure) of speech…Mandela would not have approved I’m sure, but he would’ve supported their right to do so, tasteless or not.

The arrogance of Americans is truly breathtaking. Their own democracy is completely dysfunctional and has been for decades, but they want to preach to the rest of the world about it.

As for Zuma, perhaps the booing was in bad taste, but it does show that there is now very strong sentiment against him. Anyway, this completely undisciplined behaviour is typical of South Africa. It can be frustrating and embarrassing, but in many ways it is also our saving grace. We won’t turn into another Zimbabwe for this very reason. Around here, no single person ever gets the kind of power to do what Mugabe did; he gets booed, or kicked, off the stage long before.

Disrespect for politicians can only be a good thing, if you ask me. :slight_smile:

What was in bad taste was that someone like Zuma speaking at a memorial service of someone like Mandela…

The booing was in order in my opinion.

Like somebody said: Politicians are like nappies, they should be changed often, for exactly the same reason.

I don’t care in what rectangular shaped cave you dwell during working hours, respect is earned not forced. Zoomster hasn’t earned diddly squat respect. Also, I couldn’t think of a better place for the people to voice their discontent. On a global stage, perhaps a last opportunity Madiba has given them to act out their democratic rights. I actually think the old man might’ve approved.

Can’t help but be just a teeensy bit more optimistic about our next elections. Just a tiny bit, don’t go get all cynical on me, I’m cynical enough.

As far as I am concerned, the booing is the most positive thing that has come out of this whole massively overdone mediafest. I hope Zuma is not so hardened that he did not feel the shame he has so richly deserved.

Is there anything positive he has really tried to achieve for this country? Does anyone actually know what he stands for, or is he just held up by his golden puppet strings?

Cheering Mugabe was a real low point though, a voter who disapproves of Zuma is not a good thing if the same voter would cheer Mugabe, because that vote would probably go EFF, possibly the only choice available that is a step down from the ANC.

Whether we like it or not, Mugabe is seen as the people’s hero. My fear is that the EFF may have exactly the same appeal to the unthinking.

Or maybe it was meant as a kind of relativistic applause, i.e. to convey that Booma is even less popular than the notorious Mugabe.

Booma
Now here is something! I think this is how we must from now on refer to his holiness. Good one Rigel. ;D

Thanks, Tweefo, but regrettably it’s not original. I saw it first used a day or two ago in the comments section of an online newspaper.

On the other hand, booma is Arabic for owl, a bird associated with wisdom and flapping silently underneath the radar.

I hear some sections of the UK media are now referring to S.A. as the rain-boo nation

Hehehe, what with the booing crowd and the fake sign language translator, a bit of levity was injected in what would otherwise have been an almost unbearable circus. I think Madiba would have a good laugh. In any event, the web satirists are already hard at work:

And then there is this:

Call me a conspiracy twat but the Rand get stronger and then Zuma does something. http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/businesstimes/2017/03/27/Rand-plunges-as-Zuma-orders-Gordhan-to-return-from-overseas-investor-trip My theory is that is in his, the Gupta’s and a few others interest to drive the Rand down after a bit of a rally.

I don’t follow the news at all, no TV or vleisboek, no newsletters, newspapers… no nothing. Was very pleasantly surprised on Saturday morning when I initiated a ZAR purchase and found that I’d earned a bit more than I expected last week. That was my first clue.

Going to start a new twitter tag #joysofearningactual$