Jacob Zuma's tenure as president of South Africa has come to an long, drawn-out end, but his legacy will not be forgotten – certainly in the various institutions that he has laid waste.
With 10 years at the helm of the ANC and then nine years as head of state, Zuma has made a number of significant decisions when appointing leaders to South Africa's institutions, most of whom are now a shadow of their former selves.
It can be argued that Zuma's chopping and changing at these institutions may have been detrimental to their operations, but has served his political agendas effectively.
This is the damage Zuma wrought over his tenure:
SCORPIONS
When Zuma was elected president of the ANC in 2007, the party dealt a fatal blow to the country's elite crime-fighting unit, the Scorpions. It has been argued that the reason for this was the unit pursuing investigations into Zuma's 783 counts of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering. They were replaced by the Hawks.
Years on, in a bid to gain control over the institution, former police minister Nathi Nhleko suspended former Hawks head Anwa Dramat. In 2015, the courts found that the suspension was unlawful and invalid.
It became apparent in various cases, most notably with their investigation into Pravin Gordhan, that the Hawks were being used to further political agendas.
SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
The taxman has always been a thorn in Zuma's side. In 2014, Sars started an investigation into whether the president owed fringe-benefits tax for the improvements to his Nkandla estate. In the same year, Oupa Magashule, then commissioner, quit after a recording of him offering a young woman a job was made public. Tom Moyane, Zuma's struggle friend who had not even applied for the job, was specifically chosen by the president to replace Magashule.
In 2015, Moyane laid charges against officials like Ivan Pillay, Johann van Loggerenberg and Gordhan for their alleged role in the what was called (but never proven to exist) the "rogue unit". The investigation into Zuma's tax affairs has since ground to a halt.
TREASURY
The finance minister guards the key to the safe doors at National Treasury and the country's fiscus. Gordhan, who in 2015 was appointed finance minister, was proving a pain to Zuma and the Gupta family.
Gordhan had blocked Zuma's free education plan, blocked the Guptas from starting their own bank and acquiring a lucrative deal with Denel, and was adamant that the country did not have the money to finance Zuma's trillion-rand nuclear plan.
Last year, in a midnight Cabinet reshuffle, Gordhan got the boot and was replaced by Zuma ally and alleged Gupta crony Malusi Gigaba. After Gordhan's removal, rating agencies downgraded the country's economy, sending the value of the rand downward fast.
NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY
In Zuma's early presidential years, control of the NPA became just as important as control of the Hawks in a bid to keep himsel, and his friends safe from investigation and prosecution. Dodging those 783 counts were, and still are, Zuma's priority.
In 2009, then-NPA boss Mokotedi Mpshe dropped the 18 charges levelled against Zuma – a decision that was later voided by the courts. Then came Nomgcobo Jiba, who was slated by the courts for her handling of the Richard Mdluli and Johan Booysen matters.
Now, current NPA boss Shaun Abrahams has been criticised for slow action – or rather, complete inaction – in prosecuting allegations of state capture against the Guptas and their associates. He has also appealed various court decisions against the Hawks for their handling of Zuma's charges.
The decision to prosecute Zuma on those charges now rests in his hands.
THE ANC'S ALLIANCE
The ANC's alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) was brought to the brink of destruction last year.
During Cosatu's annual May Day rallies, the federation's supporters booed and heckled Zuma when he took the stage to address them. Frustrated by the mounting allegations of state capture surrounding him, the federation later banned Zuma from addressing any of its events and called for his resignation.
The SACP remained less outspoken about Zuma until he axed its leader, Blade Nzimande, from his position as higher education minister. The party said the move was a "declaration of war" on the alliance, and moved to join calls for Zuma's head to roll. The SACP has now declared that it will contest elections independently from the ANC, for the first time in it history.
