Nkandla is not just about Zuma

THE announcement that President Jacob Zuma paid back the money for non-security upgrades at his Nkandla homestead brought to finality this national tragedy and just like Marikana, it must never happen again.

South Africans longed for leadership from the president on the subject of Nkandla until the Constitutional Court as the ultimate arbitrator indicated he had to pay an amount that was determined by Treasury.

Zuma must be congratulated for complying with the Constitutional Court's instructions, ensuring that South Africa remains a rules-based society by paying within the stipulated time period. The tragedy of Nkandla is replicated in many of South African towns and cities, where poverty and opulence live side by side.

Ours is a divided society where the vast majority of citizens remain unfree in their own country as poverty, unemployment and inequality manifest in their daily lives. The post-apartheid state has failed to deliver double-digit economic growth as the world economy ravaged South Africa when it became integrated into the world economy.

Jobless growth became a reality, while South Africa's greatest threat today is a rating downgrade for a government with around R2trn in debt. The country must make some hard choices, considering the following realities: the lowest business confidence in 20 years, a currency crisis since 2011, the lowest growth rate since the Great Recession, and the companies of the JSE 'toyi-toying' against investment in the economy with around R460bn gathering dust in bank accounts instead of being put back into the economy.

The political uncertainty that has crippled the ANC and government is felt at all levels, as business talks about policy uncertainty. Proxy wars that should be under a veil also do little to stimulate investor confidence, while FDI receipts have decreased by more than 70%. The mining jobs bloodbath continues unabated, and there has been a severe drought.

I think by now you get a clear picture that we are in troubled times, but being the eternal optimist, I acknowledge that times of trouble are times of opportunity. The main thrust of the national discourse around Nkandla is that it was something bad, and reflected the failure of our political and administrative systems in government. It led to countless commissions, and possibly greater expenditure than the actual cost of the non-security upgrades.

As an unintended consequence, it marketed and made Nkandla a probable tourism destination, primarily for locals and possibly for international tourists. Yes, we want to see "this Nkandla" and it became enshrined in the bucket list of attractions to see. The lemon became lemonade, as I asked myself what is the contribution of the intelligentsia to the national discourse around Nkandla.

Being an advocate of tourism as a vital force for development, I would obviously see the positive impact that this would make in uplifting people out of poverty. Internationally, tourism has emerged as one of the largest industries, growing at compound rates of about 4% per annum. This growth has seen travel and tourism classified as a leading global economic driver for the 21st century.

Many tourist attractions

Nkandla is a beautiful area where rural-based tourism that is pro-poor can be developed to ensure that we create places which can accommodate a variety of tastes. It is about a two-hour drive north of Durban, past the Valley of a Thousand Hills.

Apart from the now well-known presidential homestead, Nkandla is the Zulu name for a place in which the Zulu would take refuge in times of upheaval, internecine and foreign imposed strife. During uprisings such as the Bambatha rebellion (a Zulu revolt against British rule and taxation) and the Ndwandwe War (a war fought between the expanding Zulu kingdom and the Ndwandwe tribe) the area was used as a place of refuge by many people.

Numerous Zulu warriors used the Nkandla forest as their last resort for protection from their enemies over many years, as it was difficult for their foes to fight the warriors who were concealed in the broad and dark forest.

Many Zulu heroes' graves are also found at Nkandla, such as that of Bambatha which is at Nsuze. The grave of King Cetshwayo is also located in Nkandla, and if there were a tourist heritage site with a multimedia interpretation centre befitting his status at the site, this would be an important addition to the tourism product offering of Nkandla.

Essentially the historical, cultural and natural resources that should make up a cultural heritage tourism programme that could exist at Nkandla, would serve the future generations well in that it would instil in them a sense of belonging and pride. It would also be a place to enjoy.

The Fourth Estate has been completely oblivious to Nkandla's attractions, forgetting the people and obsessed only about Zuma’s homestead. They failed in their journalistic duty by not highlighting that there is more to Nkandla than President Zuma.

For those passing through Nkandla, let us work together to ensure we creatively benefit from the "R10 economy" which seeks to ensure that each passing car, truck and vehicle stops in Nkandla and they each spend R10 to benefit the local economy. Yes, we must find a new language around Nkandla, as we have been so obsessed with Zuma's home that we forgot about the people of Nkandla.

Tourism remains the only viable option to liberate people out of poverty. Among Nkandla's many attractions are the Mome Gorge as home to the Bambatha rebellion, the Shu-Shu hot springs, the beautiful and mystical Nkandla forest and, as mentioned above, the grave of King Cetshwayo.

* Unathi Sonwabile Henama teaches tourism at the Tshwane University of Technology and writes in his personal capacity. Views expressed are his own.

Read Fin24's top stories trending on Twitter: Fin24’s top stories