Love him or hate him, Jacob Zuma will undoubtedly be the focal point of local news for 2008, barring unexpected events that might replace him in the spotlight. Having just been elected president of the ruling ANC party in South Africa, fighting controversy surrounding his moral persuasions and set to appear in court in August of this year to defend himself against allegations of fraud, corruption, money-laundering and racketeering, Zuma has dominated the news recently, and will continue to do so for a long time to come.

The local media is awash with speculation surrounding what will transpire when said charges against Zuma are brought before a judge – or whether or not things will even reach that stage. Some accuse Zuma of already being guilty by association given the successful prosecution of his former financial advisor Schabir Shaik, who is already serving a prison sentence for corruption and fraud.

The more sane among us, however, will recall that it was never proven in court that Zuma was guilty of any wrong-doing, although judge Hilary Squires did comment that there was “overwhelming” evidence to suggest that Zuma and Shaik were in a corrupt relationship. Be that as it may, this evidence must still be brought before a court of law in a case against Zuma specifically.

And then there are those who believe that Zuma is victim of a conspiracy being led by the Mbeki government. Such claims are hard to take seriously though and not even worth commenting on.

Will Zuma be found guilty of the charges that have been brought against him? And what will the ramifications be if he is? Many are quick to predict that he will be the next president of South Africa – but how can he be if he is convicted of fraud?

While the current situation is interesting, it is also scary for those of us living and trying to build a future for our children in South Africa. The looming legal battle and tension within the ANC, combined with Zuma’s moral and leadership questionability are breading great uncertainty as to the country’s future and stability. This, in turn, will have a negative impact on the economy.

There is still cause for optimism, however, and South Africa has survived far worse than this. But 2008 will be, without question, a make-or-break year for South Africa in terms of solving the crime problem, preparing for the FIFA World Cup in 2010, dealing with economic and energy challenges and convincing the world that we are still worth investing in and betting on.