Struggle is for state power

President Jacob Zuma and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. File picture: Siyabulela Duda

President Jacob Zuma and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. File picture: Siyabulela Duda

Published Mar 21, 2016

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The two big events of the past week are as concerning as they are unhelpful, writes Kuseni Dlamini.

This past week was marked by two big events with massive impact on both our economy and society at large. First, the shocking and unprecedented declaration by Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas that members of the Gupta family offered him the job of finance minister before the short-lived appointment of Des van Rooyen who was replaced by current Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

The reaction to Jonas has been very strident, passionate and deeply polarised and polarisng with very strong views being articulated by different protagonists.

Some view Jonas’s declaration as an exemplary act of courage and selflessness required to defend our democracy and constitutional dispensation for which many sacrificed and died. His supporters are within sections of the ANC and the ranks of the opposition who are using this as a God sent opportunity to call for President Jacob Zuma’s resignation.

Others see it as an outrageous and a well calculated act of political mischief driven by a faction within the ANC that is orchestrating a project to recall Zuma before his term of office comes to an end.

Jonas has been roundly criticised for failing to raise this matter through internal party structures before going public. Others have questioned the timing of this and Jonas’s intentions and the Treasury’s commitment to fend off a downgrade as the timing of Jonas’s statement, especially in the midst of a review by Moody’s, is viewed by some as unhelpful in preventing a downgrade.

What do these different strident reactions tell us? One of the possible meanings of the polarised and polarising reactions from within the tripartite alliance and society at large is that the gloves are off. A war of attrition is on. The jostling for position is intensifying and deepening as different factions within the tripartite alliance lock horns and deploy all means at their disposal to outflank their opponents.

This is a battle for the heart and soul of the ANC at the core of which is the ultimate capture of state power now in order to be well positioned at the ANC electoral conference next year when Zuma’s successor as leader of the ANC will be elected. The stakes are very high. Very high indeed!

The other likely explanation of this is that there is a real and serious concern about corruption and manipulation and abuse of state institutions and resources for private gain.

Linked to this is the constant and worrying chipping away of the principles underpinning our hard won constitutional democracy. It is important to stand up and defend the ANC and the country’s constitutional democracy if it is under attack and being threatened by private interests.

It is neither in the best interests of business at large nor, above all, in the national interest for the state to be captured by private interests.

From a business perspective, it is undesirable because it distorts competition as those (likely to be few) who capture the state automatically have an unfair advantage over the majority who operate according to the normal rules of the game. However, some have argued the notion of state capture is an attempt to (intellectually) defraud and manipulate the public to turn and rise against Zuma.

There is a need for a fact-based debate on state capture so we can separate fact from fiction and conspiracy from the truth and, in the process, protect the country’s sovereignty which should never be for sale to the highest bidder.

The second major event of the past week was the intensification of the public war of words between the Hawks and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan which reached a high point marked, as it was, by both sides tackling each other and dishing out well calculated messages as part of their charm offensive to win hearts and minds.

Minister Gordhan feels he is unfairly targeted by the Hawks who sent him a list of 27 questions on the eve of his Budget speech last month. He also questions the legal basis of the investigation.

He missed the first deadline. The Hawks would have none of that and reminded Gordhan that he is not above the law.

They insisted he must respond to the questions as he was the head of the SA Revenue Service (SARS) when the “rogue unit” which they are investigating was formed. This issue has also sharply divided the country and tripartite alliance with some taking Gordhan’s side and others siding with the Hawks.

Those on Gordhan’s side view this as an attempt to weaken and disrupt him from the good work he has been doing to prevent a possible downgrade by the rating agencies.

Those on the Hawks side argue they are entitled and tasked to investigate without fear or favour. They also argue no one is above the law, including Zuma. Even cabinet seems to be very divided on this matter. Big business has largely rallied around Gordhan.

It is unfortunate and unhelpful that this issue could not be managed and handled in a careful and responsible manner during a week in which one of the rating agencies, Moody’s, was in town to conduct a review of the country’s rating.

What do these events and the way they have been handled tell us about the state of our nation? They are both as concerning as they are unhelpful. They reflect the cleavages that are forming as the ruling party edges closer to its 2017 electoral conference.

To some it was a week of the long knives and to others it was a week of the triumph of the good over evil, especially the declaration by Jonas.

We need the principles underpinning our hard won constitutional democracy to triumph over kleptocratic and corrupt tendencies towards state capture and looting of national resources by nefarious private interests.

This requires political players to put the interests of the country above narrow factional agendas which are driven by the desire to capture state power by whatever means necessary. South Africa is better served by a united, capable and delivering state and ruling party than by a quarrelsome, faction-ridden and warring state and ruling party.

* Dlamini is a member of the National Council of the SA Institute of International Affairs, (SAIIA)

** The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Independent Media.

Sunday Independent

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