'Lakela Kaunda is an Assertive Black Woman'

For someone with a growing reputation as resident "chief bully" in President Jacob Zuma's office, Lakela Kaunda is remarkably cool about the hullabaloo surrounding her. Broadsides thrown her way publicly include that she is a control freak, a bully, involved in a smear campaign against colleagues, and a selfish gatekeeper to Zuma even denying advisers access to him. But Kaunda, a soft-spoken Durbanite, isn't bothered. She quipped nonchalantly this week, in a brief interview with sister title the Sunday Tribune: "People love wicked women, don't they? A Delilah must be found somewhere."

While Zuma's first year in office played out like a soap opera, behind-the-scenes, Kaunda reportedly had a starring role, eclipsing several high-profile figures. Chief operations officer Jessie Duarte left unceremoniously in April, triggering a mass exodus in which communications chief Vusi Mona, director-general Vusi Mavimbela and senior communications aides Steyn Speed and Vincent Magwenya left.

While Duarte, in her famous e-mail to secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, complained about "a smear campaign, rumour mongering, gossip and vilifications" within the presidency before leaving, she later gave some insight into what Lakela Kaunda stands for. "Kaunda is not a bully. She is an assertive black woman. There are people (in the Presidency) who want to push her around (for their own gain), but she is not one to be pushed."

Affectionately addressed by Zuma as "Ntombinkulu", or Big Girl, Kaunda has an especially good relationship with the President in his 500-member-strong Presidency, having worked with him since the mid-1990s, when Zuma was economic affairs and tourism MEC and would turn to her to do his spin-doctoring. Kaunda, who hails from Hambanathi, in the sugar cane town of Tongaat, has also been a newshound of note. A one-time political correspondent at the Natal Witness, she worked her way up to assistant editor. She was appointed editor of the now-defunct Port Elizabeth newspaper Evening Post in 1999 - the first woman to edit a daily newspaper in the country. She also served as chairwoman of the SA National Editors' Forum.

When Zuma was promoted to deputy president, there she was, at the reins of his PR machinery. When he was fired, she left for the social development ministry, where she became special adviser to Minister Zola Skweyiya. She returned to Zuma's side, managing his office at Luthuli House, and when he was inaugurated as President, she was in the Presidency's communications unit of 40 people. A former colleague described her as highly efficient and a go-getter. She was "always astute and very committed... very focused, very professional in terms of helping us interact with the deputy president. I found her very helpful, that is why it is difficult to comprehend these stories written about her".

Presidency spokesman Zizi Kodwa said Lakela worked as part of a collective. The private office she heads was a small part of the Presidency, with about 40 staff who provide personal support to the President. Kodwa said Zuma was an accessible and a "very humble person who "tries to give his time to as many people as possible, including staff".

Eusebius McKaiser, political analyst at the Centre for Study for Democracy, said the exodus of key staffers was not likely to cripple Zuma's ability to function, but was not something he needed. McKaiser said that in the Presidency a number of positions were created because people had to be given "a slice of the victor pie". The real problem was that "the Zuma camp has to say thank-you to a lot of different constituencies that carried him to victory. Zuma's communications department needed "good communicators and political strategists who understand the power of gatekeeping," he said.

Wisecracks have ventured that it is Kaunda - and not Zuma - who runs the country.

Source: All Africa