With South African President Jacob Zuma recently passing the landmark of 100 days in office, we decided to grade the most powerful man in the land.

So, how did the country's leader fare in the classroom and on the sports field? Is he the class bully or the little guy who always gets picked on?

Take a peek at his report card to find out…

School: Republic of South Africa
Student: Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma
Grade: President
Year: 2009

Mathematics: The now-infamous promise to create 500 000 jobs by December means Zuma scores pretty poorly on the maths front. Recession or no recession, simple arithmetic should have triumphed and Zuma should have realised that these numbers were more than just a little out of reach.
Grade: E

Accounting: Zuma's choice of the experienced Gill Marcus to help him with his accounting homework now that Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni has left campus shows the leader's intention to forge ahead with the economic policies currently employed with the country in recession. However, his clampdown on government spending ('Cargate' springs to mind) may have come a little too late, especially if one takes a close look at the DA's 'Wasteful Expenditure Monitor'.
Grade: B-

English Oral: The president's speeches always appear well-prepared and his tendency to say the right things to the right people in a calm and composed manner aids his popularity. However, unlike the great orators of the past, more often than not he comes across as simply reading the text. With Zuma not really using eye contact to engage, the audience usually ends up with little more than a pretty good view of the top of his head. This is something on which Zuma could improve (the delivery of speeches that is, not the top of his head).
Grade: C-

Bible Studies: After stepping on a number of toes (particularly of the Rhema variety) with a pre-election visit to church and claim that God is on the ANC's side, Zuma has come some way towards healing religious wounds since taking the helm. The president recently spent some time with leaders from a wide range of faiths at a meeting of the national Interfaith Leadership Council.
Grade: C

Music Studies: Since taking office, Zuma has saved his renowned song and dance routine for select occasions, surprising many by failing to break into a famous rendition of Umshini Wami immediately after (or indeed during) his inauguration ceremony. Zuma has also highlighted music in general (and Kwaito specifically) as a "unifying element" in the country's arts and culture development.
Grade: B

Sport and Phys Ed: Zuma's support of sport during his first few months in charge has been impressive, with the ANC leader constantly emphasising its unifying characteristics. The president even provided his own version of the famous 'Madiba Magic' when he met with the Bulls ahead of their Super 14 final against the Chiefs. Zuma also attended events linked to the 2009 Confederations Cup, the British and Irish Lions rugby tour and the Indian Premier League. But the most powerful man in the land isn't just all about mainstream… no siree, he also appears to have a soft spot for low-profile sports and freely admits that he "enjoys table tennis very nicely".
Grade: A

Life Orientation: Zuma has had plenty of sterling advice for the youth during his short tenure thus far. The president told learners:
  • "Don't surrender. Fight on until you succeed, until you conquer."
  • "Don't say because I'm an orphan or I come from a poor family I am cursed and I can't do anything. Be active, work, think, do everything to succeed."
  • "You must have a dream and work to achieve it. In other words, you must think. You must be ambitious, but not in a wrong way."
    Grade: B

    Head Prefect Duties: Zuma sent a stern warning to municipal workers who broke the law during recent strikes but failed to follow through with equally strong action. But JZ did score points by visiting hotspots after service delivery protests across the country. Zuma appeared willing to acknowledge the many testing issues facing his leadership, and did not shy away from or ignore these problems.
    Grade: B

    General comments: Overall, Zuma appears to play nicely with others (he has no problem with the concept of delegation) and seems willing to mend broken fences (his reference to and hug of a certain Thabo Mbeki during his inauguration is a prime example).

    With apologies to Premier of the Western Cape Helen Zille, Zuma is an "affable, humble and friendly" chap. However, these admirable attributes won't necessarily be of much use with the type of challenges facing his administration.

    It would not be fair to make a conclusive judgment on Zuma's leadership after just one hundred days in office. However, based on what we have seen thus far, we decided to award the man a quarterly grade.

    Quarterly Grade: B-
    Read more about JZ in our Special Report...

    How would you grade President Jacob Zuma after his first 100 days in charge? Leave a comment below...

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