Politics JUSTIN MCCARTHY: Is this the source of Zuma's fear? 'Fear is a far more persuasive emotion than power, greed or fame' BL PREMIUM

Countless views have been expressed about Zuma’s motives for his latest round of Cabinet shuffles, none of which fully explain just what drove him to such levels of depravity. With each passing year, more and more ministers unqualified and unfit for their positions are appointed. This is nothing new. But the latest round is so ridiculous and smacks of such desperation that it is clear Zuma himself might just be a dead man walking. Pravin Gordhan was a dead man walking the day he was reappointed following the forced and urgent removal of that memorable weekend special, Des van Rooyen. Zuma miscalculated badly, and it’s taken him fifteen months to wrestle back control of Treasury. Everybody knows why this happened. Everyone knows that Gordhan, Mcebisi Jonas and team stood firmly in the way of several pet presidential projects: recapitalising crippled SOEs, approval of the nuclear deal, and approval of the Vardospan/Habib banking license so that his Gupta masters can continue to do bus...