Ah, Chief Dwasaho! The news from America is hardly promising. Yet, by the time you read this, His Excellency, the Admiral, the 47th US President, and Commander-in-Thief himself, Donald Trump, has assured us that the wars in Gaza and Ukraine will already be relics of the past.
If that happens in Trump’s fantasy land, it will spare you from all the fence-sitting and mollycoddling over Russia’s grand parade in Ukraine and gung-ho attitude towards Israel’s relentless desire to exterminate the Palestinians in their own land, nogal. The audacity.
My leader, let me be clear: I am all for political stability, a capable state, investor confidence, and all you are passionate about. I back your vision of a Government of National Unity (GNU). However, it must be said that it’s a unity that also brings together clowns, tricksters, would-be comedians and the perpetually clueless, some of whom couldn’t spell “competence” if their lives depended on it.
Ah, my leader, I am reminded of that enduring line from the French philosopher Joseph de Maistre, who once observed, “Toute nation a le gouvernement qu’elle mérite.” He penned those words back in 1811 and commuted to English it reads: “Each country has the government it deserves.”
De Maistre understood that a nation’s leaders mirror its people, their values, and perhaps their willingness to either demand change or settle for less. It’s a sobering thought, isn’t it? America, anyone? Our governance — this mosaic of saints and scoundrels alike — is but a reflection of ourselves.
There’s another disputed quote attributed to great thinkers and anarchists alike: “If voting made any difference, they wouldn’t let us do it.” Comrade Leadership, I now feel like I am all over the show, lacking coherence in my thoughts. I guess my “aha” moments are gone with the wind of the American politricks.
I’m sitting here in my study (take note, haters) in the leafy suburb of Waterkloof, Pretoria, gazing out at the jacarandas in full bloom. Yet, despite my earlier musings on the so-called green shoots of this GNU, I find myself gripped by a great sense of unease.
Grand illusion
Let’s begin by addressing the grand illusion propagated by various media houses, who, eager to celebrate the first 100 days of our GNU, need to find their calendars. My pure mathematics — not that watered-down maths lit — tells me that the true date to mark this centennial milestone should have been 11 October 2024, precisely 100 days after our ministers were sworn in on 3 July 2024. The “First 100 Days” articles I read were published on 27 September, 14 days early.
In any event, this whole brouhaha of the first 100 days is a foreign concept rooted firmly in American soil. Back in 1933, under the crushing weight of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt wasted no time, unleashing a whirlwind of legislative action in what became known as his “Hundred Days”. It was a period marked by the rapid passage of New Deal laws, all crafted to pull the nation back from the brink and set it on a path to recovery.
Do we have a New Deal since the ushering in of the GNU to pull this country from the brink? No, we do not even have an economic policy. In these 100 days, we’ve even failed to convene the much-fancied national dialogue.
We now sign Bills, like the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill/Act in instalments, as if on lay-by. Our Constitution doesn’t allow the President to amend legislation — if you couldn’t stomach signing it, my leader, it should have gone back to Parliament. Smoke and mirrors again.
One hundred days later, we still don’t know if there will be the much-hyped National Health Insurance (NHI), in the making since I was a journalism graduate, baby-faced and with no sign of alcoholism. The minister of health is emotional about it, threatening the collapse of the GNU if the NHI isn’t implemented. Still, he can’t answer a simple question: Where will the money come from to roll out this mega project?
Poisoned snacks
Then there’s the spectacle of poisoned food or snacks. Since January, 20 people have died from food poisoning cases, with a total of 372 reported cases. A majority of these, 190, were recorded in Ekurhuleni. As of October 2024, at least 16 children have died from foodborne illnesses in Gauteng alone. That includes the tragic deaths of six children in Naledi, Soweto, in early October, linked to pesticide contamination in food products.
Yet, there’s no action from the top. How many arrests have been made? Forget convictions. The famed “masses of our people” are literally on their own. The Gauteng provincial government has called for a state of emergency — ha! Are these guys for real? A state of emergency to tackle food poisoning from spaza shops owned by South Africans and run by foreign nationals? It is an absurdity.
In the GNU epoch, ministers and MECs are freestyling, building sandcastles in the air. And still, after 100 days of GNU, we don’t know what killed those 21 teenagers in the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy on 26 June 2022, 866 days since the incident. Not a single individual is in orange overalls.
In 100 days, how many National Development Plan recommendations have been implemented as we inch towards the 2030 nirvana of 8% growth, according to Minerals and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe? Clearly, our governors haven’t the faintest idea of what government can — and should — actually do.
No economy with backlogs in mining and water licences; scarce skills visa issues; porous borders; poor conviction rates for organised crime; downgraded to junk status by all major credit rating agencies; greylisted by the Financial Action Task Force for failure to prosecute politically exposed persons, mobsters, drug kingpins, and money launderers; constant water restrictions; and dysfunctional metros from eThekwini to Joburg to Tshwane will magically reach such growth. Let’s face it: we are firmly in the 1%, GDP-wise.
Prosecution paralysis
As of 8 November 2024, National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Shamila Batohi has been in office for approximately 2,100 days and has failed to convict one politician. Astonishing! Despite the Gupta Leaks and the avalanche of evidence of malfeasance, money laundering and corruption uncovered by various commissions, including the Zondo Commission, the Mpati Commission, and the SARS Nugent Commission.
All politicians linked to the Bosasa scandal — a straightforward corruption case involving chicken or was it beef braai packs, whiskies, cash handouts, and security upgrades — are walking tall with impunity.
As for the Digital Vibes scandal? No arrests, just one minor conviction, 1,136 days since the Special Investigating Unit report was made public while the big players have been promoted within their parties.
It’s almost comical that those who drove our parastatals to ruin are now comfortably ensconced in the corridors of Parliament as lawmakers forming part of uBaba’s Rogue’s gallery.
It has been 891 days since retired Chief Justice Raymond Zondo released his final report, recommending prosecuting about 200 individuals and entities implicated in State Capture and corruption. These recommendations span various sectors, including government officials, business leaders and private companies. None are in orange overalls.
Even the low-hanging fruit cases, like that of the Gauteng former Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and her crew, recommended for prosecution by an inquest judge in July, are still roaming the streets as if 144 mental health patients didn’t die between June 2016 and October 2017. It has been 2,595 days since families called for justice.
My leader, what I’m trying to say is, what was all the smoke and mirrors about the first 100 days when you need 2,000 years to convict those pretending to be our governors and who have robbed this country blind?
The minister of justice and constitutional development is distracted and busy with the sideshow of running “coffee shops”. Others are too “rich”, but still siphoned off R454,005 for ground transport, but no consequence management kicks in.
There’s an adage that says you can’t manage change without changing the management. Need I say more? We need a national reset of our politics. The bar for leadership in this country is set too low.
Till next week, my man. Send me nowhere. I quit. DM