STATE CAPTURE: SOUTH AFRICA

This a concept that is floating around in our beautiful country as if it is an everyday point of discussion. This concept is brandied about as if every Tom, Dick and Harry knows the full import thereof.  

Wikipedia gives it this definition:

“State capture is a type of systemic political corruption in which private interests significantly influence a state's decision-making processes to their own advantage through unobvious channels, that may not be illegal. The influence may be through a range of state institutions, including the legislature, executive, ministries and the judiciary. It is thus similar to regulatory capture but differs through the wider variety of bodies through which it may be exercised and because, unlike regulatory capture, the influence is never overt.”

[Source: click here]

On 10 March 2016 the DAILY MAVERICK asked the question under this heading: “State capture: Did the Guptas offer Treasury's top job to Deputy Minister Jonas?” [Source: click here ]

It is if the Daily Maverick pre-empted the happenings, not so?

In light of Wikipedia’s quotation, it is necessary to take notice of what happened in my country during the previous weeks or so; especially when you consider wat the Deputy Minister of Finance Mr Mcebisi Jonas said on 16 March 2016. He states categorically that the Gupta-family offered him the portfolio in the Cabinet as Minister of Finance. [Source: for the full text of his statement click here]

I wonder what Mr David Douglas Van Rooyen would disclose one day? [Do you remember him? He was the man who held on to his Ministerial appointment for exactly five days [Source: click here]

And of course the Gupta-family denies it and challenged him to proof it [Source: click here]

The very same day a former senior ANC politician Me Vytjie Mentor disclosed in THE SOUTH AFRICAN.COM that the Gupta’s offered her a job in the Cabinet as well [Source: click here for the full text of her “bomb” This time the honourable President Zuma tried another trick. He pleaded amnesia – he cannot remember ever meeting her.

Vytjie’s response was hugely interesting: “I chaired the ANC national parliamentary caucus when President Zuma was a Deputy President. He sat next to me and spoke through me and with me in Caucus each Thursday when Parliament was in session.” This was only one incident that she mentions. She mentions others as well.

What does our President Jacob Zuma do? Resign? Of course not! What does the ANC high command do? Recall him like they recalled President Thabo Mbeki? Of course not. That is why the image below reminds me of Zuma: he laughs all the way to Nkandla and the Bank.

Zuma laughing!

I suggest to you that in any other country where there are inter alia ethical standards, integrity, quality leadership, morality and decency the President would have resigned without any one calling for his resignation. Not our beloved President – he stays put and laughs.