I’ve thought long and hard about what I would do if I won the lottery (clue – not work) but I’ve never given much thought to what I would do if I was the dictator of a country. After all, it just seems so far off.

When you are Jacob Zuma, however, it might be a little closer to home. So what would our JZ do if he weren’t held accountable to the people and forced to abide by the rules that the rest of us live under? Well wonder no longer, because yesterday Zuma told the South African Local Government Association summit in Midrand exactly what we would change. Here’s Mail and Guardian quoting Jacob:

I would say to a family, you need a house, here is the material and only bring the government person to supervise. Build your house. That is what I would say.

And if they say they can’t build, we will just get the person who can build; they must participate. If they can’t put a brick they must mix the mud. So that there is a feeling that ‘this is my own’…

I’m not saying I agree, but there seems nothing too untoward there. What can you tell us about freedom of speech Mr. Despot?

In a democracy you can say whatever you like. There is freedom of speech. Sometimes you don’t understand limits of freedom of speech. We just say anything to anyone anyhow.

I wonder if that is a not-so-subtle dig at his many detractors. Zuma also used the opportunity to berate local government officials who have spent huge amounts of taxpayer’s money on excessive usage of consultants:

Some of us are employed for specific skills. But instead of doing our work we take it and give it to consultants. They do the work and are paid even more money. Why are you employed if you cannot do the work you are employed to do?

I couldn’t agree more, those politicians who are inept at the very jobs they are employed to do should be held accountable. Perhaps our glorious leader should remember that setting an example starts from the top…

[source:mg]