Jacob Zuma, the Pioneering Visionary Leader

By Chris Kanyane

This book dives into Zuma's life story, showing how he faced tough times but never gave up. It's like watching a movie where the underdog becomes the star player.

If you want a story that's inspiring and shows that anyone can make it big, "Jacob Zuma, the Pioneering Visionary Leader" is your go-to read.

• Language: English
• Publisher: South Africa National Library Online
• Release date: Apr 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224606429

Chris Kanyane

The author first met Barack Obama close and personal in the majestic Kenya; both chatted and enjoyed lunched together. He is a global researcher and member of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa. He is also the president and cofounder of the global Moving Forward!

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Jacob Zuma, the Pioneering Visionary Leader

South Africa National Library Online Pretoria

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

Website: SouthAfricaNationalLibrary.online

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Copyright © 2024 by South Africa National Library Online

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher,

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Danger of a Single Story

Nkandla Origin: The Roots of Enlightenment Revolution

Jacob Zuma Creating Futures

The Rise of Net-citizens in Combating Mainstream Media Fake News

Towards the Future

Appendix

CHAPTER ONE

The Danger of a Single Story

In the same way as Nelson Mandela, it has to be acknowledged that the ghost of Jacob Zuma looms large in the national consciousness of South Africa. Of course Nelson Mandela becomes more greater as his admiration extent even beyond the borders of South Africa: It global.

But in this book we are talking only about Jacob Zuma...

On May 23, 2018 I attended a great presentation at Harvard University, in Massachusetts, United States of America. It was a great experience. The speaker was a great African young beautiful woman of great intellect. Her name is well-known, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She was radiating warmth and beauty.

Chimamanda is true to her African genes, she is such a global giant but remains humble, approachable, relaxed and entertaining. She projects an aura of a beautiful butterfly and her ambience is most welcoming. What a stunning girl! What a stunning super beauty, super genius!

Chimamanda is a firm advocate and activist of the balance of truth.

At the Harvard meeting she was speaking on the topic of the Danger of a Single Story.

I have kind of found a perfect handle on her speech when I began this important work on the pioneering visionary leadership of Jacob Zuma.

Single stories make one story become the only story. The risk of the single story, the one perspective, is that it can lead us to default assumptions, conclusions and decisions that may be incomplete, and may lead to misunderstanding. Operating from the context of a single story can prevent us from a more complex, nuanced view of a situation.

If we were to peel the mask of the dominate narrative about Jacob Zuma and going beyond the established view by the mainstream media we arrive at a different story – a different Jacob Zuma.

According to Chimamanda, single stories have the power to tell false interpretations of the actual story. I refuse to believe the single story that former President Jacob Zuma was all bad. I deny and whole heartedly refute that single story.

There is a wise saying from ancient times that we have to grapple with. That wise saying says that no man or woman is totally good and no man or woman is totally bad.

There are people who want us to believe the sole narrative that the former President of South Africa was all bad and that that President Nelson Mandela was all good. Is that the case?

Is that for real?

Who is fooling who? Are we made to be children to believe to swallow baseless assertions? Clearly to believe that assertion is to enter a dangerous trajectory the end of which is calamity.

This book is written as part of my freelance journalism career and it is written with an eye on history. It is a labor of love and a quest of appreciation of my country South Africa.

If you cannot tell your own story you are voiceless and people will dictate to you and you find yourself at the mercy of the opinions and views of others defining your very core being.

I have published books from on lives of Ruth First and Joe Slovo, Graca Machel, John Nkadimeng and others.

I have written feature articles for the Sunday Times, City Press, News24, Daily Maverick, and the Sowetan – almost all major South African newspapers.

I have been called for interviews by PowerFM, 702, Cape Talk etc. But since I am averse and obtuse to radio, I have not been able to honor those interviews.

Internationally, my work has been listed in the Reader’s Digest,