While the present South African narrative is saturated with phrases like “white monopoly capital” and “radical economic transformation” behind the scenes an altered truth unfolds.
About a month ago President Jacob Zuma fired the minister of finance and his deputy.
The firing was built on a conspiracy report that many believe to be dubious in nature and utterly reckless in character.
South Africans of all colours, shapes and sizes appeared outraged and marched, armed with a great sense of indignity.
State capture, save our constitution and all sorts of popular phrases were echoed.
Behind the illusive scenes, Zuma sent the new minister of finance to the holy temples of monopoly capital in New York where the gods of materialism are deified and little else matters.
Ironically, from the time of the cabinet reshuffle, the downgrading by Standard & Poor’s to date, the foreign holdings of South African Bonds increased by an unparalleled R20 billion (Bloomberg INET).
What was whispered between the new minister of finance, the emissary of President Zuma and the high priests who met at the temples of materialism will remain a mystery to average South Africans.
The results however, speak for themselves.
In time, the subterfuge of the downgrades will fade and former minister Pravin Gordhan will be forgotten.
Our main banks that represent white monopoly capital grows even stronger than a month ago, and so does our currency as foreign capital flows in.
President Zuma acquired what he wanted, the banks received what they wanted and foreign investors got what they wanted.
The only people who have little clue what actually ensued and acquired nothing from the deal that was made at the temples of materialism are regular South Africans.
Already the price of petrol and eggs have increased, and so has water and electricity.
The lesson is: when wicked people are allowed to dictate the agenda on behalf of those they are pretending to assist, regular folk always lose.
When the elite make war and peace it is usually and utterly at the expense of regular people.