Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa,
has been described as both
a tyrant and a savior.
But his supporters and detractors
can together agree on one thing.
He is a political survivor.
Since the end of apartheid
the world has viewed South Africa,
a country trying to move on
from a turbulent and violent past,
as a shining example
of successful political transition.
Leading that process,
following his presidential
election in 1994,
was Nelson Mandela
and his party the ANC,
the African National Congress.
More than 20 years later
the ANC is still in power
after winning its fifth consecutive election,
with the party's current leader
Jacob Zuma becoming president
for a second term.
Three years on from that election,
South Africa is now facing
a governance crisis
while its economy is in
technical recession.
At the center of the turmoil is
President Zuma,
whose credibility following
numerous controversies,
is at a career low.
Zuma, who at 75,
is one of the world's oldest
democratically elected leaders,
caused the greatest damage
to his reputation in early 2016.
That year South Africa's highest court
ruled that he breached the
Constitution by refusing
to repay state funds
that were used to upgrade
his private residence.
These upgrades included
an animal enclosure,
an amphitheater,
a swimming pool,
a visitor's center
and a chicken run.
Following widespread criticism,
he eventually apologized and
repaid the $600,000.
But those concessions didn't
prevent either mass protests on
the streets of Johannesburg and Cape Town
or parliament from holding
a vote of no confidence against him.
This was one of several attempts
by his opponents to oust him.
And like those previous efforts
Zuma has managed to
remain in power.
Requests for a silent vote
have been denied
amid reports that Zuma has
threatened ANC members
with disciplinary action
if they fail to vote for him.
But Zuma's problems haven't stopped there.
He is currently facing 783
corruption charges that include
money laundering and racketeering,
which stemmed from a controversial
$5 billion arms deal in 1999.
He was also accused of raping a
family friend in 2005
but was acquitted of the charges
a year later.
While past scandals have harmed
Zuma and the ANC's reputation,
it's the president's
recent activities which have
caused South Africa real damage.
Several international ratings agencies
downgraded South Africa to junk status
after Zuma sacked his finance minister,
Pravin Gordhan.
This resulted in a rise in food prices
and the economy stagnating,
as South Africans were
unwilling to spend money due to
the increased cost of borrowing.
Zuma has yet to give an
official reason as to why
Gordhan was fired
but his allies argue that their
relationship had irrevocably
broken down with some going as
far to say that Gordhan was
supporting policies that would
favor white people.
Gordhan who was seen by many
as someone who was beyond Zuma
and his allies' influence
had a different view.
He said that South Africa was
in danger of becoming a kleptocratic state
while his deputy,
who was also sacked,
claimed that state funds were
being stolen to benefit a small elite.
So who are the small elites?
Well many would argue it
centres on the Guptas,
one of the wealthiest families
in South Africa.
The Guptas' influence is considerable.
Not only are they in business
with Zuma's son,
but they also have their own
24-hour news channel,
African News Network 7,
that their critics argue
they use to set the news agenda
for their own personal gain and
give favorable coverage for
President Zuma.
Scrutiny in the Guptas'
dealings resulted in an
independent report being
commissioned last year
which allege that the family had
offered bribes to government officials,
influenced cabinet appointments
and gained massive government contracts.
Both Zuma and the Guptas deny
any wrong doing.
But that didn't prevent,
in early 2016,
the four biggest banks in South Africa
closing the Guptas' accounts.
As the allegations mount up
Zuma is now facing criticism
from within his own party.
The ANC has ordered an
investigation into what's been
called by its own members as
the corporate capture of government.
And it's not just verbal attacks
that Zuma has had to face.
In 2014 he was hospitalized
after reportedly being poisoned.
Proud polygamist Zuma accused
one of his four wives of taking
part in the plot and said there
had been three further attempts
by his enemies to poison him.
But amid the turmoil
Zuma remains defiant.
He has allayed ANC fears
by confirming that he will step down
as the ANC president
in December at the party conference.
But he will still remain
president of South Africa.
Many argue that he will
continue to manipulate the
economy for his personal benefit
and as he does so the Rand
continues to fluctuate
causing further uncertainty.
It's likely that another credit
rating agency Moody's
will also downgrade South Africa to
junk status and when that
happens the country will be
removed from the World Bond Index,
which could have serious
implications for the economy.
Unemployment is already at a 14-year high
and amongst the youth, it's 50%.
As protests continue to erupt
in the nation's cities,
some analysts believe with Mr Zuma
coming under pressure on various fronts,
it's only a matter of time
before he is forced to step down.
However others say it is unwise
to write-off the man,
whose Zulu name,
Gedleyihlekisa,
means one who smiles
while grinding his enemies.