says, Zuma involved in state capture..
editorial.. To those who know, the silence after a bomb goes off is quite uncanny. Like the state capture bomb. Even birdsong
ceases and the world seems to halt for a few seconds. Then as things start up again, people seem to gabble. Everybody is rushing about. Life starts up but the noise seems incredible, if you can hear at all that is. Following this comes the sickening realization that there might be a second bomb. One seems helpless.
So it was when the Public Protector’s Report on State Capture was released. Most had the feeling that to see in writing upon the frontispiece the words “state capture” was quite surreal. Up until then it was rumour; an “alleged” idea; something that was always “strongly denied”; certainly, shady but in any case, difficult to prove… but it certainly shouldn’t happen in our backyard anyway.
Truth must out
Then the bombshell report was released. The world seemed to halt in silence whilst its 355 pages were digested. Then came the voices, mostly loud and some quite vociferous. Some demanded more proof; some demanded immediate retribution. Many asked for the President to step down, following which was a festival of interviews on e-NCA. Meanwhile, in Parliament the corridors went quiet. Like a phoney war.
Rewind
Whether there is a second bomb in the form of the Hawks and the NPA again charging Minister Pravin Gordhan is purely conjecture at this stage. It is part of a process that Parliament is not privy to. Parliamentarians must just watch these parties go about their business, unfortunately at the expense of a jittery investment market.
What we do know is that all judicial and parliamentary processes are painfully slow and this is
as it must be. Witness the complaints if a Bill is rushed or “hammered” through Parliament. It rarely works when carried out at speed and the process is exposed for its faults.
The law may be an ass at times and very laborious but it is there to fight corruption. To eventually win a case against such a difficult-to-prove crime may take time but it is devastatingly successful when achieved.
However, the name Gupta is not responsible for everything. Some of unpleasant exposures, especially in the energy field, are the result of massive incompetence rather than a temptation of financial gain.
Taking time
In ParlyReportSA, now with clients, we detail four painfully long processes which eventually will result in what may not be liked by some but have been correctly subjected to the slow but democratic procedure of Parliament – the MPRDA Bill; the investigation into the 
Ikwhezi R14.5bn loss; the sale of South Africa’s strategic oil reserves; and how the mini-budget of Minister Pravin Gordhan has evaded the claws of state capture.
Our constitutional, and therefore our parliamentary system which is integrated into it, is subject to a clause which states that the president of the country is the person who is elected as the president of the ruling party’s National Executive. This outcome only changes if that person is found guilty of breaking the law or his and her oath of office. For this outcome to be proven can take much time.
Patience a virtue
Gratifyingly also, amongst many outstanding court procedures underway, the arduous parliamentary and legislative process to ensure a recalcitrant President gets around to signing the FICA Bill, is underway.
His signature is needed in order that the countr
y can meet international banking obligations and comply with money-laundering disclosure requirements. The fact that the President has not signed it, as was put before him by Parliament and has provided no reason for the apparent lack of inertia to do so, speaks volumes. Probably a case for personal privacy will be tabled by his defence team, if he gets to need one.
Delaying tactics
Either the President in this instance will waste taxpayer’s money with a long drawn out case or be advised to withdraw, as has been his practice up until now, by acceding at the last minute and will have signed or be told to.
He and his associates know that this Bill is a critical tool in the fight against illegal transfers of funds by “prominent persons”. Minister Zwane’s fight with the banking sector is an unnecessary sideshow connected to this process. More becomes evident in the media , day by day, of this gentleman’s shady dealings.
Dark forces
Another fight calling for patience and now being unearthed is the level of corruption within intelligence services, Hawks and the NPA. Hopefully, this is not as deep as the relationship that Robert Mugabe had with Nicolae Ceaușescu of Hungary, based on which he built his CIO and followed the advice gained from his training with Nangking Military Academy.
Hopefully also, with the NPA, Hawks and other major undercover government departments, only such matters as graft involving as rhino trade and state capture bribes are the tools of trade involved and the aim remains simply self-enrichment.
Hope springs
The “goodies” in South Africa have much to undertake in order to beat the “baddies”, not helped by senior ANC officials not getting off the fence for fear of being demoted on the party list and losing their pensions. All the same, there are so many good men and women speaking out at the moment from all spheres of political and business life, the ANC in particular, that “the force” would appear unstoppable.
Getting Parliament back into control and equal to the Cabinet will be a long process and
calling for extreme patience, as manifested by our greatest President who demonstrated such incredible patience over many years in his long walk to freedom.
Previous articles on category subject
FIC Bill hold up goes to roots of corruption – ParlyReportSA
Parliament: National Assembly traffic jam – ParlyReportSA
Red tape worries with FIC Bill – ParlyReportSA
Anti-Corruption Unit overwhelmed – ParlyReportSA
