Presidency alarmed at Zuma reading comment

The presidency is alarmed by comments that President Jacob Zuma's weakness is that he reads too little, his spokesman said on Friday. 

  

"The statement is incorrect, unfortunate, and misleading. It also serves to perpetuate stereotypes," Mac Maharaj said in a statement.    

 

Political analyst Richard Calland told the Cape Town Press Club on Thursday that Zuma did not read.

   

"It's not that he can't read, it's that he doesn't read and he doesn't read the proper stuff; he doesn't read Cabinet briefs, he doesn't read stuff that is the meat and drink of modern, sophisticated government," he said. 

   

"It is not easy for one to have such disrespect of our president. The truth is we have a leader who encourages that... and who is, in many ways, the  mbodiment of anti-intellectualism."

   

Maharaj said Calland had no knowledge of how Zuma worked, how he prepared for meetings, or what the aspects of his work were.

   

"It is therefore shocking that Mr Calland has taken gossip and rumours to be fact and has also decided to spread such rumours further," he said.

   

Calland said Zuma's predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, was the opposite and read everything, possibly too much for his own good because he paid too little attention to advisory voices around him.

   

Mbeki's knowledge of important documents had, however, inspired confidence in the Cabinet.

   

"Cabinet ministers were constantly on their toes because they knew that they had a boss, a chairman of Cabinet, who had read at least as much as they did, if not more, and knew their briefs as best, if not better, and that kept them on their guard."

   

Members of Zuma's Cabinet had more space to do what they wanted and some had consequently taken the opportunity to develop their portfolios.

   

"The problem, however, is this: that Zuma does not provide the backing that they need. He doesn't back his ministers. They never know where they're standing... it makes them jittery," Calland said. 

   

Calland teaches constitutional law at the University of Cape Town and heads the democratic governance and rights unit.   

 

He released a book earlier in the year, titled "The Zuma Years: South Africa's changing face of power".

   

-Sapa