This week the Pietermaritzburg high court gave VBS Mutual Bank permission to seize Zuma’s assets to repay a loan of nearly R7m relating to the refurbishment of his Nkandla homestead.This follows his pending corruption trial and a separate court case on whether he should return to prison after being controversially released on parole by former prisons boss and supporter Arthur Fraser.

This week on Sunday Times Politics Weekly, we discuss the “Zuma phenomenon”.

Is it possible or even advisable to hold Zuma accountable before court? How has Zuma managed to have so much influence in SA? Should he face rearrest, will SA experience another 2021 July unrest scenario?

These are some topics discussed by host Mike Siluma and his panel — Sunday Times political writer Mawande AmaShabalala and independent political analyst Prince Mashele.