Zuma's Outcry of Betrayal: A Content Analysis of "Sengimanxebanxeba Zinsizwa", 2005-2018

Since Jacob Zuma was removed as a deputy president by then-President Thabo Mbeki in 2005 because of allegations of corruption, charges of rape and financial misappropriation, he has been at the centre of factions within the African National Congress (ANC). Subsequently, the Zuma loyalists saw his removal as a deputy president as a dirty political plot by Mbeki to disregard what is known as a "culture of the party" but not a party policy that a deputy president "must" be the president of the party. Since then, battles for the leadership position involving Zuma and his camp have led to factions, which saw the severe division in the ANC from local to national structures. Consequently, there has been an increase in the party of interpretation of incidents such as party members' legal matters along functional and political lines. Hence, the political woes of Zuma and his loyalists have been attributed to factionalism by his camp. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper was to analyse Zuma's outcry of his betrayal by his party members from different factions within the ANC in a song entitled "Sengimanxebanxeba Zinsizwa" (I am deeply wounded by fellows). This song is divergent from the common songs such as uMshini wam (My Machine gun) etc., sung by Zuma and it appears to be narrating the political woes he faced in the ANC. Subsequently, a qualitative content analysis was employed to successfully analyse the purpose of this paper. The paper concluded by affirming that the song "Sengimanxebanxeba Zinsizwa" sung by former president Jacob Zuma reflects an outcry associated with what appears to be an orchestrated betrayal by his party members and close comrades with whom he shares struggle and political credentials.