Surprise, surprise, 100 days into his tenure as South Africa’s newest President, Jacob Zuma is getting high marks from the Financial Times. Like everyone else, before April’s elections the FT raised “the specter of some new heart of darkness descending on South Africa.” Now Zuma is their man. Descriptions of “… a solid and optimistic beginning by his government” and of Zuma being “pragmatic pragmatically.” Zuma’s choice of finance minister (Pravin Gordhan) and the elevation of Trevor Manuel to the powerful post of planning minister “… have been welcomed in the private sector.” And of course he has not let the demands of “left wingers” (meaning the poor majority) to do something about glaring poverty and inequality, influence him. (He also gets praise for being more conciliatory towards whites and opposition parties unlike his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki.) The FT also has anecdotes:
