ANC scandal

ANC fails to stop the corruption train

Those who have done wrong and those who have failed to hold them to account would prefer that we forget about their nefarious deeds and failed responsibilities, but Daily Scandals intends to remind us, lest we forget. This article is part of our new series titled Lest We Forget, in which we return to scandals and corruption, big and small, to reveal what has happened to investigations and promises of action. In this instalment, we note that when it comes to major corruption scandals, only one case has been prosecuted for jailing; orange overalls are far off for the rest. 

An ongoing Daily sacandals analysis of corruption shows that President Cyril Ramaphosa has failed to disrupt it sufficiently to make a dent in its trajectory.   

This year alone, there have been four significant scandals with well over R1-billion in misspending, by opportunists who used the Covid-19 pandemic to extract rents from the relaxation of procurement systems.   

An Afrobarometer survey result released in September revealed that most people polled in a representative study believe corruption worsens under Ramaphosa. The Presidency has denied this, but the data shows the truth in the perception.   

There have been 32 significant scandals in South Africa. This rap sheet is book-ended by public health communication scandals. The first was the Sarafina debacle in 1996, where playwright Mbongeni Ngema was gifted with payola to produce a public health play. The latest is the 2021 Digital Vibes public health contract to cronies of former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.  

Only one big player was prosecuted. Former and late police commissioner Jackie Selebi was jailed for corruption with his corruptor Glenn Agliotti.  Still, the top cop was later released on medical parole. The Constitutional Court also stopped a contract between Sassa and Net1 Cash Paymaster Services.

The trajectory of corruption has not slowed, but there are substantial differences under the present ANC administration. PPE corruption sparked fury because the scandal happened as millions of the poorest South Africans lost their livelihoods and tens of thousands lost their lives.

All the significant state capture cases have been ventilated before the Zondo Commission of inquiry: Bosasa, Transnet (the most expensive at over R40-billion), Eskom (the quantum is still being calculated), SA Revenue Service (Sars) and Prasa (initially R600-million, but likely much more). Eskom has issued a civil summons to reclaim R3.8-billion from the former board, but former chairperson Ben Ngubane has passed away. The evidence before the Commission is being processed by the Investigating Directorate. 

A key player, Iqbal Sharma, has been charged but for his role in a much smaller contract in the Free State. Further prosecutions are imminent but not of the Gupta family and their lieutenant Salim Essa, all of whom are said to be holed up in Dubai and are red-lit by Interpol should they try to move. The Emirate says that it is committed to a mutual legal assistance treaty.