Jacob Zuma: Pionerring Leader From Humble Beginnings

The Danger of a Single Story In the same way as Nelson Mandela, it has to be acknowledged that the ghost of Jacob Zuma looms large in the national consciousness of South Africa. Of course, Nelson Mandela becomes greater as his admiration extends even beyond the borders of South Africa: It is global. But in this book, we are talking only about Jacob Zuma… On May 23, 2018, I attended a great presentation at Harvard University, in Massachusetts, United States of America. It was a great experience. The speaker was a African young, beautiful woman of great intellect. Her name is well-known, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She was radiating warmth and beauty.

Chimamanda is true to her African genes, she is such a global giant but remains humble, approachable, relaxed, and entertaining. She projects an aura of a beautiful butterfly and her ambiance is most welcoming. What a stunning girl! What a stunning super beauty, super genius! Chimamanda is a firm advocate and activist for the balance of truth. At the Harvard meeting, she was speaking on the Danger of a Single Story. I kind of found a perfect handle on her speech when I began this important work on the pioneering visionary leadership of Jacob Zuma. Single stories make one story become the only story.

The risk of the single story, the one perspective, is that it can lead us to default assumptions, conclusions, and decisions that may be incomplete and may lead to misunderstanding. Operating from the context of a single story can prevent us from a more complex, nuanced view of a situation.

If we were to peel the mask of the dominant narrative about Jacob Zuma and go beyond the established view by the mainstream media, we arrive at a different story – a different Jacob Zuma. According to Chimamanda, single stories have the power to tell false interpretations of the actual story. I refuse to believe the single story that former President Jacob Zuma was all bad. I deny and wholeheartedly refute that single story.