Soft cover
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"The President's Keepers: Those Keeping Zuma in Power and Out of Prison" is an explosive non-fiction book by South African investigative journalist Jacques Pauw, published in 2017. The book uncovers the web of corruption, incompetence, and patronage that flourished under the presidency of Jacob Zuma.
Pauw describes how Zuma presided over a "shadow mafia state," built with the help of a network of loyalists and enablers (the presidents keepers) who protected him from prosecution and investigations. This cabal systematically undermined key state institutionsincluding the police, prosecution, intelligence agencies, and the South African Revenue Service (SARS)to shield Zuma and his associates while facilitating large-scale looting and malfeasance.
The book alleges that Zuma did not pay taxes for significant stretches of his presidency and, during his first months in office, received illegal monthly payments from a private company. He is portrayed as financially reckless, failing to settle debts and indulging in questionable bank loans.
Pauw meticulously details how top officials, including Tom Moyane (SARS), Richard Mdluli (crime intelligence), and others, worked to neutralize corruption investigators and honest civil servants. Strategic appointments and dismissals were used to ensure a culture of impunity and facilitate state capturethe wholesale takeover of state resources by private interests and criminal syndicates.
Key chapters explore the influence of the Gupta family and how they, along with cigarette smuggler Adriano Mazzotti and other dubious characters, infiltrated ANC politics to advance their business and political interests. The book reveals how these networks even shaped campaigning for ANC leadership positions.
The narrative shows law enforcement agencies being gutted or manipulated to destroy credible investigations into corruption, while critics and whistleblowers faced intimidation, dismissal, and criminal charges.
The books revelations caused a national uproar. Attempts by the State Security Agency (SSA) and SARS to have the book banned and removed from stores only amplified public interest, leading to widespread circulation of the content and increased demand.
Widely praised for its thorough research and gripping narrative, the book helped expand public understanding of the depth of corruption and how brazen state capture operations had become under Zumas tenure. It is often credited with influencing public sentiment and adding to momentum for political change in South Africa.
