First published in the Daily Maverick 168 weekly newspaper.
In September 2019, a day after we published Pauli van Wyk’s seminal investigative piece, VBS Theft, Money Laundering & Life’s Little Luxuries: Julius Malema’s time of spending dangerously, Daily Maverick penned an editorial titled Your move, South Africa.
In it, we laid out the lay of the land in that fraught moment. We warned President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government that it was about time they did something about the levels of corruption and incompetence in South Africa, or it would come back to bite them and the whole country in the same meal. We also warned that the free media can only do so much – and it cannot do anything in the vacuum created by the non-functioning state.
Fifteen months later, where are we, as a country, society and the economy? While the Covid-19 pandemic has placed an existential threat in front of South Africa, and so many of us individually, it could have been an opportunity for a reset. And while so many indeed have heard the call of better angels, the bad-faith actors took a step towards hell.
From every corner, from every hole, there seems to be an opportunist lurking, plotting to cause more harm for personal gain.
In the 15 months since our editorial, Ramaphosa’s government not only hasn’t done much to act against the countless crooks we exposed, but in many ways things have got even worse. Openly corrupt Geoff Makhubo is now the mayor of Joburg,
Dr Iqbal Survé repeatedly publishes fake news stories and thumbs the PIC’s nose even as it was proven that he stole billions. Andile Lungisa left jail soon after he got in. The ANC’s provincial bodies are openly defying their own party’s national structures.
(This is only what one can recall in five seconds – the full list would take an entire newspaper.)
Under Ramaphosa’s watch, the most horrific abuse and theft from South Africa’s waning response to Covid-19 has happened, with billions siphoned to politically connected crooks. In another editorial, we argued these should be declared crimes against humanity.
Stealing from your own people is a crime; stealing during the pandemic is a crime against humanity
The Guptas are still comfortable in Dubai.
RET forces still shout without stopping.
Fifteen months after our exposés, Julius Malema, Floyd Shivambu and Co are louder, and more vicious than ever, clearly looking to foment racial conflict and hatred in a country that is already teetering on the edge. Despite Daily Maverick clearly proving their guilt in the VBS scandal, they are allowed to attack the media and call for violence against the police, and generally behave like the bunch of depraved politicians they are.
All these people’s horrific crimes of stealing from their own were exposed in our publications – and not a single one of them has sued us; should it have not been true, it would have been an insult of gigantic proportions. They have not and they will never sue us – because they know everything we published is true.
And you know who else knows that what we published is true? The NPA, the ANC, and President Ramaphosa. And yet, almost nothing is happening. How should we all interpret this silence?
Obviously, the past 15 months were not good to South Africa, nor for Ramaphosa.
His predecessor, Jacob Zuma, now openly ignores the legal system and the Zondo Commission he himself instituted. In a new insane subsegment, he is moving into dynastic mode, displaying his son Duduzane as his successor and the future president of SA. Yes, really. And where the legal action finally happened, it mostly affected minor players like VBS miscreants.
Ace Magashule’s arrest warrant, while welcome and necessary, would take years to end in actionable conviction. The Secretary-General of the ruling party will drive it all the way on the highway to Stalingrad that had already been built and signposted by Jacob Zuma.
He has ample space to emulate Zuma’s 2007 Polokwane conference success path and emerge victorious in the 2021 NGC and 2022 Elective conference. So he does not need to fight against his corruption charges in court, as it was always about politics first anyway. All he needs to do is delay for long enough and win the inner-ANC battle. Everything else will sort itself out.
ANC’s centre no longer holds – Balkanisation appears inevitable
If you are a betting person, there’s every chance that Ace Magashule will be the next president of SA, that all NPA and court action against him will be squashed, that the media, while most likely not officially sanctioned, will be brutalised, together with all who dared cross him.
So, 15 months later, we still need to remind this President, his government and this country: should strong, principled and lawful action not be taken soon, South Africa will be a failed democracy in a heartbeat. It is genuinely that fragile, this current situation. Looking for consensus with people whose only wish is to destroy you is truly a bad idea. Knife, gunfight. DM168
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Cry the beloved country! It has fallen into the iron grip of the most obnoxious and wicked parasites. This sense of hopelessness and despair is growing. Whilst there is hope and one must always believe in what is right and remain positive, it is a massive mountain to climb and we have barely started its ascent. The evil, godless and lying thieves and vampires that you have so aptly described are a mortal danger to this country and seem to be growing in strength and impunity. We need Divine intervention 🙏
Good luck with that mate!
How dare you insult vampires!
Well said sir. One can only hope that your thoughts reach the eyes of someone with enough integrity (ha ha!) to get something done.
I posted a long diatribe. Can’t be bothered. If those reading haven’t realised by now that the jig is up then they will soon when their pension funds are gone and taxes are north of the already high 80% they currently sit at. Just do the math – before spouting off that taxes are “only 45%”. They’re not. You pay more than you get to keep to a state that steals, squanders and swindles you – why? Because try not paying your taxes and see what happens to you. You’re the target, you always have been and you always will be.
The most prominent example of this corruption trend on a global front, must be the USA…and Trump, who with the support of Republicans is trying to turn ‘democracy’ into a farce. Similar to Boris is the UK and Modhi in India. Let alone the numerous other ‘masculine’ dictators around the globe… all MEN with more testosterone than brains. The only vestige of hope seems to be the female-run heads of government ! What a sad state of affairs.
It’s a true sad story, but it brings to mind that image of all the people standing on the land side of the gang plank, keeping it up while the single leader dictates from his position out on the limb. Iv just been discussing what could happen should our economy be shut down again because of covid. A business owner replied ” maybe it will set us free. If our opportunities to pay taxes and work are destroyed, we just have to stop paying and become independent from the government. They can’t put us all in jail ”
I’m wondering how our collective cognitive inertia plays a part in keeping this corruption going. Maybe we need to think free?
It took only 5 seconds for Branko Brkic to think up a whole newspaper of South African catastrophes. Thanks Branko, you and your Crew have done wonders to the local Truth Business. Thanks again. I do have one gripe tho’. The ANC and EFF have weakened democracy with their corrupt, totalitarian and fascist habits. While democracy is being weakened The Press, including The Daily Maveric, have been trashing the only viable democratic opposition party in South Africa, the Democratic Alliance Party. It took me a matching 5 seconds to recall a small fraction of nit-picking, snide and some just plain dishonest items published by South Africa’s Press. Think of the treatment given to that poor teacher in Scheweizer-Reneke who was hung, drawn and quartered for an innocent photo of the multi-racial kids in her class. Racism was AUTOMATICLY ASSUMED! That did huge damage to the DA and democracy, let alone the personal damage to the teacher! And it was covered by The Press ad infornitum! DM – The Truth? Then there was the Auntie Pat saga in Cape Town! She has shown her hand in the ANC benches!! Cannot even put up a fence without some corruption! The Press had made her out to be a Saint in Cape Town! Lastly, here is The Press Slam-Dunk! Helen Zilles’ Tweet! The most misrepresented tweet in Southern Hemisphere History! I won’t rehash The Press’ sorry saga, but just remember who brought the wheel to South Africa, and writing! Singapore is a place to follow! Lastly, please reply to this tome of mine. I suggest get an out-sider to give a full and fair investigative answer to the biggest anti-democratic miss-steps by The Press in the last few years. My pick would be umaBunganis’ Susan Comrie. The DA is not perfect or correct all the time. It is just the best bet We The People have for a better democratic and peaceful future at this time. Please treat them as such. Time can mean so much!
Totally agree. The press will report on any mamparra who utters complete gobbledy gook before they print anything positive about anybody. Highlighting the successful projects and good things parties, politicians and people do will change the way Mzanzi feels about life in SA.
Once cryptocurrencies go mainstream as a a decentralized stateless peer to peer payment and smart contract credit access system with no bank intermediaries, the parasitic politicians wont have anything to steal from us (look at how quickly Venezuela and Nigeria are moving in this space). Put the economy and the financial control back into the hands of the people. Let these unqualified parasites watch the pieces of paper they keep printing with dead presidents faces on them turn into toilet paper ha ha. Let them beg us to pay tax on our terms, not theirs. Laundering hard cash is going to get more and more difficult. The future is ours.
I just hope there are enough honest and brave souls left in SA to cleanse the nation of the worst disease to ever hit this country – the Zumptas