Jacob Zuma voted Mampara of the Year for the third year in a row

In every race there can only be one winner, as this year's contest to decide Mampara of the Year proved yet again. Your votes, dear readers, came in thick and fast, but it was soon clear who would win.

With more than 90% of your votes, and for the third year in a row, South Africa's undisputed mampara is President Jacob Zuma.

True to his nature, the man from Nkandla left his rival mamparas wondering whether they were running against a man or a ma(mpara)gician.


He fought off formidable competition to win the title in a year in which mamparas of all shades and stripes boldly made their cases for notoriety.

Even the deserving muppet Steve Hofmeyr, the self-appointed leader of the volk who seems more interested in selling records than carrying the can for Afrikaners, could only manage second place.
He had his backers, though. One reader, Norma Dunjwa November, pleaded for him: "Steve Hofmeyr. He lost a case to a puppet."

And on any other day that could be a supreme mampara moment. Who else but a total mampara takes a dummy to court - and loses?

But the Dancing One is known for his fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude - he is still running away from fraud and corruption charges first laid against him in 2005.


Despite the late challenges made by Hofmeyr and another close runner-up, Ellen "the dog ate my qualifications" Tshabalala, the former SABC chairwoman, Hogarth is convinced our singing president would have remained the undisputed champion even if the race had been longer.

With his hat-trick of wins (2012-14), Zuma stays ahead of Julius Malema, who has won the award twice, in 2009 and 2011. Only COPE, winner in 2010, has briefly broken the stranglehold these two have had on the award in recent years.

The Sunday Times itself received a few nominations for the award, and Eskom also earned a well-deserved mention or two.

SOURCE : TIMES LIVE