The past 18 months have seen a decline in the former president's political power. However, there is still one variable at play: the power that Zuma may still have through his previous influence at the State Security Agency and SA's intelligence community.

Later today, Tuesday 14 October, the former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, is due to appear in court on charges of corruption and fraud. The appearance comes after he lost a court application to have the charges stayed permanently.

Next week, he is due to testify before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

The last 18 months have seen a massive decline in Zuma's political power. He appears to have lost the ability to control events. This is a major, and largely overlooked indication of how President Cyril Ramaphosa has managed to grind his opponents out. Still, there is one huge variable at play: the power that Zuma may still have through his previous influence at the State Security Agency and SA's intelligence community.

It may, one day, be difficult to explain exactly how much power Zuma used to have. How none of the bad things he did always managed to slide over his Teflon-coated...