Cashing in on Pain and Suffering Is the New Normal in This Pandemic
The corruption in the African National Congress (ANC) is unforgivable
When asked about graft in South Africa at a press conference on Friday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation, labelled PPE corruption as “criminal” and “actually murder”
The lost decade
We’re still trying to redress the feeding frenzy of the Zuma era.
The Commission into State Capture established two years ago ambles inexorably ahead, but with only a trickle of prosecutions so far.
The infamous Gupta brothers — Ajay, Atul and Rajesh (Tony) — now pursue their opulent lifestyle in exile in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after looting millions from South Africa. Complicit in these crimes were former President Zuma who has yet to face trial, as well as loyal cadres in the ANC.
The brothers continue to flaunt their wealth, accumulated at the expense of our economy. They held a lavish joint wedding at Abu Dabhi’s Emirates Palace in Dubai in February 2019 for Rajesh Gupta’s daughter and Atul Gupta’s son.
Promoting the nuptials in Bollywood style on YouTube was the ultimate insult to South Africans. I refuse to share the link.
Quo Vadis profiteering?
Despite President Ramaphosa’s undertaking to eradicate corruption, many ANC members continue to serve in government, regardless of their being implicated in shady dealings.
A recent example which raised the ire of fellow citizens was the redeployment of Zandile Gumede as a member of the provincial legislature in Kwazulu-Natal after being removed as mayor of the city of eThekwini).
She is out on bail of ZAR50 000 ($3000) for her alleged role in a Durban Solid Waste tender scandal to the tune of ZA 389 million ($24 million).
I could cite many more cases that speak to the fall of the ANC from the moral high ground it occupied in Mandela’s era.
You can read this article written by Lynsey Chuntel in the New York Times on 19 August for more misdemeanours I haven’t mentioned.
Speaking out when convenient
The last surviving Rivonia trialist and struggle stalwart, Andrew Mlangeni passed away on 21 July.
In an official special funeral, held on 29 July, two senior members spoke out on graft.
Mlangeni had been staunchly vocal against dishonest dealings. He had personally asked Jacob Zuma to resign as ANC and South Africa’s president as allegations of corruption swirled around him. Mlangeni previously served as chairperson of the ANC’s Integrity Commission.
What shocked us was the news this week that his funeral had cost taxpayers ZAR350 million ($20 million). Those costs are unjustifiable!
A turning point?
In his public address on 23 July, our President announced he had signed a proclamation authorizing the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate any unlawful or improper conduct in the procurement of goods and services during the national state of disaster.
The scandals emerging daily — diversion of food parcels, contracts for cadres and friends, over-priced medical equipment and PPE’s, to name a few — which up to now he had glossed over — forced him into a corner.
He could no longer gloss over the facts as exceptions to the rules of law and order.
On 6 August the president then set up a committee, headed by our Minister of Justice, Ronald Lamola, to “deal with alleged corruption” linked to personal protective equipment (PPE).
(My italics!)
He instructed ministers to provide names of companies and amounts of tenders and contracts their respective departments had awarded during the period of Covid-19 and the National State of Disaster.
What do we know so far?
The politically connected have thrived.
The SIU is so far probing 658 Covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) tenders and other pandemic related contracts worth R5.08-billion ($298 million). This is around half of the total ZAR10.38 billion ($610 million) Covid-19 expenditure according to our National Treasury department.
The Ministries of Police, of Defence and the Province of the Free State have yet to submit their lists, so the final amounts will be higher.
On Friday 21 August, we learned of a PPE contract awarded to a man who died two years ago!
Then we learn today (Sunday) that our President sent a letter to members of the ANC in which he says apartheid is partly to blame for Covid corruption.?????
What now?
We look forward to Fridays because the hashtag #voetsekANC is trending higher each week on local Twitter.
(Pronounced footsec. The etymology of the word voetsek is from the Dutch “Voort seg ik!” which translates as “Away, say I!” Although generally used to chase a dog away, the broader interpretation today is “Get lost!”.)
We are united in our fight against this corrupt regime.
Does this herald the birth of a new political movement in Mzansi?
Where to next?
The Battle of Alamein in 1942 when the British routed Rommel’s force in Egypt marked a turning point in the Second World War.
Churchill delivered these words in a speech after the victory:
“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Same meaning — different date and location.
Although this corruption has been going on for years, we still have a long way to go.
Every arrest counts.
A personal story.
My sister-in-law landed a booking for 7 rooms for 17 nights at her bed-and-breakfast this month — the first time since lock down in March that her business can cover monthly overheads.
Her guests are a unit of the SIU who are in town to conduct operations. I
In the early hours of Friday, they arrested a manager of the local municipality on allegations of fraud and tender corruption.
Their captain told her they are determined to rid our country of this scourge.
Keep up the wonderful work, guys!
This short musical clip by The Kiffness will help you with the correct pronunciation of voetsek.
A song for the ANC (Pink Floyd — Another Brick in the Wall Parody)
Corruption is the other pandemic and not unique to South Africa. Active citizenship across the world has the power to root out all evil.
A luta continua!