Liesl Göttert speaks to Rian about life after Zuma

Liesl Göttert worked as Jacob Zuma's media strategist for 15 years. 

Liesl was instrumental in crafting Zuma's public image and recalls how the man struck her as charming in their first few meetings. Liesl says she was not directly under his employ, nor that of the state or of the ANC. She was more of a 'family friend', and an advisor. 

As such, she did not judge Zuma on his personal characteristics or his choices. Liesl says 'no one is 100% bad or 100% good', and this is how she viewed Zuma even at the height of the rape trial in 2006. She elaborated on this during her conversation with Rian:

Liesl is known for facilitating meetings between Jacob Zuma and some prominent personalities of the Afrikaans community.

Earlier this month, after Zuma stepped down as President of the Republic, Liesl took to social media to express her grievances about the way Zuma had departed from his Office:

Unlike most people who are elated by Zuma's exit from Mahlamba Ndlopfu (the presidential home in Pretoria parliament residential)...
I am not.

I am deeply saddened by a chain of events surrounding Zuma that is both very personal and very very sore.

I told Cyril this as well at our last meeting at 11pm on 2 Nov 2011 in the guest lounge of his Shanduka offices in Illovo. 

We had just left the ANC's Progressive Business Forum dinner with him and Roelf at Sandton Sun.  I took the opportunity to air my views in the time we had available before he left to be with his family. He was decent and courteous; an impeccable host with perfect English and lovely manners; but I still don't trust him politically as far as I can throw him.

Some 15 years ago I started helping Jacob Zuma in many respects to become president, people's darling and the business world's favourite politician.

I honestly believed that he was a good man. I inspired people and I urged them to give him a chance. I worked tireslessly for many years and with no income, to convince people from all walks of life that he was good and honourable and deserving to lead South Africa.

I am ashamed to say that I made a horrible and awful mistake. I thought I posessed a good judgement of character, and I was horribly wrong.

I convinced thousands of people (maybe more) to love and support him and to vote for him.
I was so wrong.

I believed that he was a unifier. I knew of his academic shortcomings, but I believed in his goodness.
I was wrong.

My father (Martin Louis du Plessis 01041944-01052004) laughed at me every time I started my broken car with one headlight, and metal to metal brakes... to drive to Pretoria to see the president in waiting, whom I believed would unify this country and appoint the most capable people to let SA shine.
I was wrong.

Amongst many many efforts of reconciliation and making peace between the extreme political poles in our country, I took JZ (and many others on many occasions) to see Janusz Walus and Clive Derby-Lewis in prison.

Zuma promised that he would give a full pardon to them both when he became president. He had just become deputy-president,and he told Clive: "Five years (before I become president) is a long time... but five years is a short time."
Those words will forever ring in my ears...
I believed he would keep the promise that he made in my presence.
I was wrong.

I honestly believed that I was fighting the good fight. I made a political TV documentary. I interviewed Brett Kebble for an hour and have footage that has never been seen - his last full TV interview.

I introduced and accompanied Zuma to Right-wing Afrikaners and Boere, I organised events and parties, I convinced good people to attend..., I took Zuma to the scene of a farm murder, I took him to an Afriforum event in his honour...

I took him to meet with Steve Hofmeyr and Leon Schuster...
I organised publicity...

I believed in healing, forgiveness, negotiation, equality in his mind and building a great country on his watch.
But I was so wrong.

I sincerely apologise for the role I played in helping to bring Jacob Zuma to power, and for everyone that I desperately tried to convince that he would be good for South Africa.
I was so, so very wrong.

He and Dudu Myeni literally shoved me aside at his presidential home. 

I honestly loved and appreciated his family... most of his children are amazing and good people...

I worked like a dog for years... for no money... for the pursuit of a great South Africa, and I was literally shoved aside...