I have always been a firm believer in the adage that Josephine Tey reminds us of, that, truth is the daughter of time. When I look at the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) types and their desperation to hoodwink our people, I know that with time the truth shall prevail. 

But also that “you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time”. Remarks made recently by some of these characters where they suggest that they have massive support in a number of provinces are simply false information. Yes, they have been active in all provinces drumming up support for their cause to stay out of prison and not for their pro-poor policies as they would like our people to believe, but it has not yielded the required support.

Why? Because the majority in all our provinces can see right through these misfits. Where were these so-called pro-poor policies when indeed they were in the driver’s seat under Jacob Zuma? Instead, we now see and hear the full extent of their looting and stealing from the state coffers during the State Capture period (nine wasted years of Zuma). 

They stole the money meant to remove unhealthy asbestos roofs and, as a result, our people still breathe in these toxic fumes. But Ace Magashule and Co don’t care, as long as they have their fancy cars and fancy suits and fancy shoes. And increasingly now, fancy words to try and get themselves out of this mess they have created. Our people will not fall for these forked tongues. We see you for who you are, the age of reckoning is upon us, we dare not falter. 

On the one hand, it’s as if Zuma is stuck in a time warp. He still thinks and believes that the ANC is bigger than the state. How sad that he has not realised that this has not been the case for so long already.

So, before you lose interest completely, may I remind you, “bad men get away with it when good men and women do nothing”. I know one can get rather disillusioned with all this nonsense in the ANC, but if we decide to step aside and concentrate on family and other priorities, we still need a functioning country, do we not?

Zuma’s absconding from the Zondo commission last Thursday is not so much a slap in the face for Zondo and the commission, but actually a true test for the ANC leadership. Zuma is plainly saying to them, dare to arrest me. Just like he was under the illusion that “my people love me” prior to his resignation, which we had to force him to do, he now is still firmly of the opinion that the country will somehow revolt in his defence should authorities arrest him.

Well, I say, let’s put that to the test. Arrest the former president with immediate effect. And by the way, given the disrespect he has shown towards the judicial process and the blatant manner in which he and his lawyers have conducted themselves, we don’t want a quiet reporting to the nearest police station and hand yourself over. No, we want to see a proper arrest with handcuffs, so that the message is clear for all to see — this is what happens if you try to make a mockery of our judicial system.

He is bluffing and now is not the time to pander to Zuma’s nonsense.

On the other hand, we see the RET campaign masters beginning to oil their machinery and getting bolder in their approach. For the first time, some of them have now verbalised that they intend to galvanise sufficient support among ANC members so that they can rally a call for Ramaphosa’s removal from high office. Then, which I think is brilliant spin-doctoring, in case they somehow don’t succeed in this ridiculous plan, they come up with a lame strategy to suggest that the CR camp will influence votes because they will buy them, “as they did at Nasrec”.

First, let’s set the record straight: it was not the CR camp that stole money from state coffers to fund voting fodder at Polokwane, Mangaung and Nasrec. There exists plenty of evidence that the RET types engaged in this — investigative journalists have exposed this many times.

So, to now suggest it will be the CR camp that will engage in such nefarious activities smacks of desperation. Why should anyone believe you? First, you steal from us (our taxes), then you come in sheep’s clothing and try to suggest the other camp will do so. Why should we believe thieves?  

Second, let me restate the obvious: to rid ourselves of elements who steal state resources in order to have a war chest, you must also get money from somewhere. Either you too steal from the state or you look elsewhere — in the case of CR it was the private sector that came to the party. Not because they wanted to unduly benefit post the conference, no, but because they could see how their respective businesses were being negatively affected because of the ruinous management of the economy and how corruption was becoming rampant and detrimental to their businesses. 

So, before you lose interest completely, may I remind you, “bad men get away with it when good men and women do nothing”. I know one can get rather disillusioned with all this nonsense in the ANC, but if we decide to step aside and concentrate on family and other priorities, we still need a functioning country, do we not?

Let me conclude by illustrating the double standards of the RET camp. Rule 4:16 of the ANC constitution stipulates that the resolutions of conference must be implemented without fear or favour. In keeping with this rule, the RET types have been clamouring for the president to implement conference resolutions on land, the Reserve Bank and many other issues, so, what now? Does it not apply to resolutions that negatively impact on certain comrades? Because there is also a very clear resolution that members must step aside once charged, but alas — the rules of Animal Farm doth apply, some animals are more equal than others, it seems.

And in case Josephine Tey’s chosen adage does not make it clear enough, the holy book also reminds us — in the book of Luke 8:17, it says: “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”

Keep walking forward, Mr Deputy Chief Justice, and do not be deterred by the shenanigans of simpletons. I am confident that the next NEC of the ANC will ask the secretary-general to step aside because what Ace doesn’t realise is he is not bigger than the ANC. Local government elections are on the horizon and the next general election is also not far off. The Ramaphosa administration wants what every first-term administration wants, a second term. And it won’t allow Ace, Zuma or anyone else for that matter, to jeopardise this. 

I say again, the age of reckoning is upon us, and we dare not falter. DM