The Sunday Independent on 31 May 2015
President Jacob Zuma is apparently disappointed that this Parliament has lowered the standards. He shared his disappointment with members of Parliament while responding to their debate of his budget speech a few days ago. All they want to talk about, Zuma chastised them, is “Nkandla, Nkandla, Nkandla”. Some are using the constant reference to his village, he went on, cracking himself up, to improve their pronunciation of Zulu words.
Ending what he must have believed was the most hilarious spell in that moment of stand-up comedy, Zuma exclaimed: “Thixo wase George Goch!” Ruling party MPs found the performance hilarious, while the opposition MPs were repulsed.
The contrasting reaction was typical. And, it was not to be the only one. It happened again, but this time it cast doubts on Zuma’s charge that opposition MPs have lowered the bar.