What are South Africans prepared to sacrifice in order to get rid of President Jacob Zuma? This question lies at the heart of the current speculation that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is in talks with Zuma about a deal that will allow him to leave with "dignity". Since this deal is being thrashed out behind close doors, the particulars are still unclear. If Zuma’s demands are met, South Africans stand to lose a great deal. The deal-striking creates the fundamental question of what entitles Zuma to make any demands at all. He is clearly not in a position to demand any golden or platinum handshake. But South Africans seem fairly tolerant of Zuma’s audacity in making demands even though he has been thoroughly discredited over the past 12 years. In its news bulletin on Zuma’s possible exit, Al Jazeera listed many of Zuma’s most publicised transgressions, starting with his 2006 rape case. I remember South Africans commenting at the time he became president: "He might be president, bu...
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