Delay, Delay, Delay
Jacob Zuma would like to have the corruption charges against him thrown out. Barring that, he hopes that a policy of delay will buy him time to find a way out of his crisis. He knows that in some circles among his allies and among those who have not taken sides there is a hope that there is some way out of this mess that will not destabilize the ANC further, and thus destabilize South African politics and society.
Judge Chris Nicholson on Tuesday announced that his decision on whether to toss the corruption charges (per Zuma’s application) will not be made until next month. In the interregnum Zuma, his lawyers, and his political supporters (and probably not a few of his detractors) will feverishly work on finding some compromise, pulling some levers, and finding some rabbits to pull from hats in order to stave off what in ordinary circumstances might seem like an inevitable trial that may well not go well for the country’s presumed next president.