by Lorenzo A Davids
The Watergate scandal toppled US president Nixon in 1974. The spying activities on the Democratic National Convention were enough for the US electorate to lose confidence in its president and his party’s integrity.
The current SA State Security Agency (SSA) scandal is greater than Watergate ‒ and far darker and heinous. However, not many calls have come for the immediate suspension of the implicated, pending investigation and trial. Not even a call for early elections to test the confidence the people have in its government.
It is alleged that under the Zuma administration, the State’s resources were exploited for nefarious projects to enrich the president, his acolytes and to pay bribes to party factions.
While we know of the Guptas, it appears that the network of beneficiaries span far wider. The State Capture Inquiry raises the question: Do ANC delegates go to the ANC National Conferences to collect cash for votes? The very notion of democratic elections appears to be a sham at ANC National Conferences.
How many ANC leaders, including current ministers, accepted cash to vote a certain way? The perilous state that the ANC is in appears not to be due to ideological differences after all, but due to having bought votes with cash, a loyalty which cannot be sustained after the money runs out.
ANC National Conferences act like an unregulated stock exchange – where money is invested in individuals to vote a certain way. Billions of tax-payer rand ‒ which had to build school toilets and feed hungry families ‒ were used by the ANC to buy votes.
The ANC must answer the question: Which ANC cadres were rewarded with ministerial posts because they have voted a certain way after receiving cash?
Imagine the deal: Vote collector: “Look if you vote for our faction, we will transfer R2 million to your account, okay?” Voter reply: “Nah it’s not okay. I also want a ministerial post. If that’s unavailable, at least a deputy-minister post. Or even DG will be okay”. Vote collector reply: “Okay, we will arrange. Deal?” Voter reply: “Deal. Sharp.”
South Africa deserves to know whether its ministers, deputy ministers and senior public servants are part of the cohort who were paid with tax-payer funds to vote a certain way at its party conference?
We are in a crisis. This SSA-type scandal has overthrown bigger governments. This is greater than Watergate. We dare not “move on”.
The confidence the people should have in its government is all but destroyed. This is not radical economic transformation. This is simply theft for personal gain at the largest possible scale.
If the evidence in the Project Veza affidavits is true, then large parts of the ANC office bearers, ministers and supporters have risen to their prominence through stolen tax-payer cash.
The Guptas now appear to be a mere diversion to distract from the real battle for the soiled soul of the ANC. President Ramaphosa has one action that he must do: To go to the State Capture Inquiry and declare what he knows about the cash transfers from the SSA.
The Mufamadi High-Level Review Panel into the State Security Agency Report was released in 2017. What did he do to deal with its findings? Who have been disciplined or charged as a result of the report?
All across this country, we see job losses, homes falling apart, business closing. All across this country, we see desperately hungry and sick people. At the same time, we see a political aristocracy who has shamelessly indulged in personal enrichment, flashing wealth and privilege. We close our eyes to this to our detriment.
As I write this piece, I look across the room to the large embroidery hanging on my wall that my mother-in-law made of President Mandela’s face within the map of Africa. His many quotes and unwavering integrity now appear to be at odds with the ANC we see at the State Capture Inquiry.
* Lorenzo A Davids is chief executive of the Community Chest.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
Cape Argus
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