Daily Maverick
Dailymaverick logo

Opinionistas

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are not that of Daily Maverick.....

Letter to Mahlamba Ndlopfu — we must smoke out our crooked politicians in the battle against corruption

Bhekisisa Mncube
By Bhekisisa Mncube
21 Nov 2024
Facebook
4
Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s statement that ‘criminals are not to be helped, criminals are to be persecuted’ delivers an important lesson: that all ANC cadres entangled with the law are to be deemed ‘criminals’ and we, as the electorate, must refuse to be served by such individuals.

Ah, Chief Dwasaho! I have reached a point where I no longer subscribe to manufactured outrage and have learned to see the forest for the trees. As an ANC ideologue since 1986, the antics of the new generation of “leaders” no longer surprise me.

The ANC has always been a tale of two leadership strands: one guided by empathy, the other by megalomania and selfishness. Under Oliver Tambo, the ANC upheld the principle of sparing white civilians, even under provocation. Nelson Mandela’s ANC prioritised reconciliation over vengeance, fostering unity instead of division.

These principles matter because the ANC’s struggle was against the apartheid system, not against individuals defined by race. As a 12-year-old, I was taught we fought oppression and violence inflicted on black bodies — not the white people who happened to uphold it. The megalomania strand stole the ANC at Polokwane.

In this context, Minister in the Presidency and Cabinet spokesperson Khumbudzo Phophi Silence Ntshavheni stands out as a rare example of honesty, reliability, and principled leadership within today’s ANC — a quality increasingly scarce in the post-Thabo Mbeki era.

I note the commentariat is up in arms, from former DA leader and poster boy for liberalism in South Africa, Tony Leon, to Paul Hoffman, Director of Accountability Now, who completely misunderstands Madam Silence Ntshavheni. Her Silence speaks volumes — louder than the wailing sirens of the blue light brigade.

My leader, I am a self-appointed analyst who decodes the ANC language that’s steeped in the culture of uBaba (Jacob Zuma) and the “it’s our turn to eat” mantra.

Ntshavheni is my kind of woman. She has a knack for speaking the truth — not to power, mind you, but to the poor.

And let’s face it, somebody has to do it. Billions have already been wasted on the futile exercise of speaking truth to power. When she delivered the now-viral comment that had liberals, democrats, and anarchists clutching their pearls, she truly meant well.

Her full statement, a masterpiece of blunt honesty, was this: “We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. We are not sending help to criminals. Criminals are not to be helped. Criminals are to be persecuted.”

This comment reshapes our jurisprudence and undermines the ANC’s professed constitutional mantra when its cadres are in conflict with the law: “Everyone must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

Important lesson


Ntshavheni’s statement, however, delivers an important lesson to us mere mortals: that all ANC cadres entangled with the law are to be deemed “criminals”, and we, as the electorate, must refuse to be served by such individuals.

She effectively instructs us to stop paying these so-called “criminals” from the public purse while they enjoy the dubious refuge of the “step-aside” rule.

Even more encouraging, she suggests we abandon the nonsensical provisions of the Constitution that require anyone accused of a crime to be charged in court or released within 48 hours of arrest. According to Ntshavheni, the zama zamas (illegal miners) are, without trial, a) guilty; b) criminals; and c) undeserving of humanitarian assistance — food, water, and forget medication.

I combed through numerous legal journals to uncover the principle of “criminals are to be persecuted”, but found no trace of it. We need a Promotion of Access to Information Act application to find this resolution in the ANC National Executive Committee minutes.

However, the fact that you, my leader, have not sanctioned her sends a chilling message to the ordinary men and women who toil daily to rebuild this country — systematically dismantled brick by brick by the ANC since Polokwane.

In a breathtaking act of constitutional vandalism, our Mampara of the Week — undeserving of even that title — has rewritten the Constitution and trampled our societal values. This mocks the idea of the ANC as a caring government — a costly joke that’s no laughing matter.

Now we are left with two competing legal principles: persecute the poor but prosecute ANC cadres. Worse still, these cadres are allowed to initiate frivolous court actions to evade arrest, and once detained, they lodge even more frivolous attempts to derail the prosecutorial process. Such contradictions expose the deep moral and legal rot in our system.

Instead of going gung-ho against Ntshavheni, I propose she be awarded the Order of Mendi for Bravery, typically reserved for South Africans who display acts of courage and sacrifice, often at personal risk, in advancing the “nation’s” values.

The irony of such recognition is, of course, rich. After all, the award is named after the SS Mendi, a ship that sank off the coast of Britain, leading to the tragic deaths of numerous black men. The symbolism couldn’t be more fitting in the stand-off between the zama zamas and the police at Stilfontein.

If these so-called criminals are denied water and food for much longer, they’ll literally sink to the depths of the Earth, never to resurface — problem solved. Ntshavheni’s brand of justice is indeed a novelty: efficient, uncompromising, and devoid of even the pretence of humanity. Bravo, Madam Minister!

Implicated in corruption, fraud, and money laundering


To demonstrate Ntshavheni’s brand of “honesty”, consider the fate of several ANC “leaders” implicated in corruption, fraud, and money laundering by retired chief justice Raymond Zondo. Despite the grand promises of accountability made on 23 June 2022, absolutely nothing has happened to them — except, of course, the occasional promotion.

In other words, it has taken the ANC an impressive 882 days to master the art of failing to hold its own leaders accountable. Bravo!

Meanwhile, the dazzling star of “corrupt” behaviour, Nomvula Mokonyane, remains comfortably ensconced at Luthuli House. The Zondo Commission recommended her prosecution — or perhaps persecution would be more apt, but never mind — not for a mere smattering of chicken braai packs and bottles of whisky, but for a lavish 40th birthday bash courtesy of Bosasa, along with the tidy monthly sum of R50,000 she allegedly received.

Instead of facing justice, she ascended to the lofty position of First Deputy Secretary-General of the ANC in December 2022. And as if that weren’t enough, uGal is now living her absolute best life, even snagging an “award” from the prestigious She-Millionaire Africa Business Awards Women in Leadership 2024, courtesy of the She Millionaire organisation.

The irony is practically dripping off this accolade!

Another cadre recommended for persecution — sorry, prosecution — was Gwede Mantashe, the ANC national chairperson. Naturally, instead of facing the consequences, he ascended to the role of Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, where he now presides over an economic catastrophe.

Under his watch, there’s a staggering backlog of 2,525 mining licence applications for the 2023/24 financial year, a bottleneck throttling the economy with remarkable efficiency.

Oh, and let’s not forget his little Bosasa scandal: according to the estimates of Angelo Agrizzi, former Bosasa chief operating officer, his three properties received security upgrades worth a tidy R650,000.

Untouchable comrades


Some comrades are untouchable, with more lives than cats. Take David Mahlobo, implicated in state security corruption and flagged by Justice Zondo for prosecution, yet comfortably recycled as Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation.

Look at Malusi Gigaba (Zondo-recommended for prosecution) and Dr Zweli Mkhize (of Digital Vibes infamy) — both comfortably propped up the ladder in Parliament.

In the ANC, a scandal isn’t a career-ending event; it’s a stepping stone to another cushy position.

I feel a pang of sympathy for former ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe. The poor man found himself on the wrong side of the Special Investigating Unit, which slapped him with a preservation order. This order bars him from selling or transferring his house in the ultra-exclusive Steyn City, the playground of the elite, or even parting ways with his flashy Porsche Carrera.

At least the ANC’s don, Zizi Kodwa, can hold on to his R890,000 Jeep — graciously funded by the “proceeds of friendship” from former EOH boss Jehan Mackay.

This blatant selective persecution of comrades reeks of hypocrisy. Still, as a society, we are duty bound to heed Ntshavheni’s rallying cry to “smoke out” all corrupt comrades.

Let’s cut off their political power, privileges, and blue light convoys — because nothing screams justice like ensuring that bloody crooks pretending to be our governors face the music. DM

Categories:

Tags: