Years ago when Thabo Mbeki was president, I used to play a little game during the regular ANC parliamentary caucus on Thursday mornings. Unlike the current president, but like Madiba, Mbeki used to come to caucus frequently to address the ANC MPs.
After a few months I started to time how long it took Mbeki to get to some conspiracy theory during his speech. There was always someone or something to be blamed. Foreign powers, the media, big business, the pharmaceutical companies and as the years went on, it became clear that he got to the “bad boys behind all our troubles” faster and faster.
When Jacob Zuma became No 1, people assured me that the conspiracy theories faded away and everything became a lot more relaxed. That is until recently. From what I am being told the paranoia is back. Big time.