The DA have fiercely launched an offensive against the eThekwini Municipality, who are using public money to fund the upcoming Jacob Zuma album. The former president is set to record a series of struggle songs, after signing a deal allegedly worth R25 million.

However, the puzzling decision has done nothing but raise eyebrows since its announcement at the turn of the year. Now, as details emerge of the half-baked idea, it seems like things could soon fall apart for the brains of this operation.

Why the Jacob Zuma album is being linked to corruption

Phumzille van Damme – an official DA spokesperson on corruption – visited a performing arts centre in the KZN-based metropolitan area. She found that millions of rands of funding for the BAT Community Arts Development and Cultural Entertainment Centre had recently been pulled.

Instead of ploughing their money into talented local artists, it seems eThekwini’s politicians are more interested in a Zuma-related vanity project. Van Damme vowed to raise this funding issue with the Department of Arts and Culture, before saying that any city official involved in producing the Jacob Zuma album should serve time in prison:

“If eThekwini goes ahead with the proposed funding of Zuma’s record deal, it will be seen as an act of corruption, and we will be forced to take action that comes with combatting acts of corruption, and call for those facilitating these corrupt activities to be prosecuted leading to 15 years in prison. The theft of the people’s money cannot be treated with kid gloves”. Phumzille van Damme

No, Ladysmith Black Mambazo will not feature

It’s another humiliating revelation for the seemingly ill-fated record, just days after Grammy Award winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo denied they would feature on the album.

eThekwini Head of Parks and Recreation, Thembinkosi Ngcobo, had previously claimed they were going to duet with Msholozi, but the group have denied any knowledge of the project whatsoever. Then again, Ngcobo does have a habit of saying things without thinking them through.

Those behind the Jacob Zuma album have managed to chalk up an incredulous hat-trick already, months before its release: They’ve syphoned funds from public centres, been threatened with jail sentences and were even accused of lying for the sake of publicity. This isn’t exactly the PR that a local municipality needs, is it?