Editor’s View
RON DERBY: The end of a legacy project that never was
In Zuma's mind, he is free to ignore his core constituents even more than he did before because winning re-election is no longer a priority
Every president is keen on a legacy project. Some will be more grandiose than others, such as putting the first man on the moon, something that US president John F Kennedy can lay claim to. Maybe it's just vanity, but I suppose presidents also want historians to look back on their tenure and point to either an event or an infrastructure project that was a direct result of their rule. On my first and unfortunately only trip to Nigeria about a decade ago, I was constantly reminded by whoever was my guide on the day of the one good thing about General Ibrahim Babangida's eight-year military rule - the longest bridge in Africa(11.8km), which linked Lagos Island to the mainland. That record was beaten by Egypt's 6th October Bridge in Cairo, more than 20km long. For most of Jacob Zuma's presidency of nearly 10 years, many in his inner circle have spoken of the delivery of a fleet of nuclear power stations and by extension a long-term solution to South Africa's energy situation as his ulti...
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