GUPTA HYSTERIA DEFLECTS ATTENTION FROM THE ECONOMY
The now familiar narrative is raging that the Gupta family has "captured" the State by "capturing" President Jacob Zuma. A new dimension is that the political left has latched on to what is essentially a conservative red-herring.
The Constitution of South Africa, often hailed as among the most progressive in the world, provides the framework of the State. It provides for three arms, namely the legislative, executive and judiciary. The design is deliberately aimed at constraining State power by dispersing it.
Ours State is firmly based on the Rule OF Law. The powers and functions of the different arms and other key positions are defined in law.
The theory of State Capture has been developed to describe the vulnerability in States without checks and balances for powerful business interests to appropriate the power of the State through control of processes of legislation, regulations, judicial decisions and public procurement. In a way it is a more concentrated form of corruption. According to the theory the bureaucracy acting in its own interests and those of political masters can similarly "capture" the State.
The fiction is peddled that President Zuma has undermined the independence of law enforcement agencies like the police and prosecuting authority, as well as State Security.
When Chief Justices Sandile Ngcobo and Mogoeng Mogoeng were appointed by President Zuma (following the constitutionally prescribed process) respectively to head the highest court in the land there was an outcry that he sought to undermine the independence of the judiciary! Both became active champions of judicial independence. That court also routinely rules against the "Zuma Administration".
It is often overlooked that Advocate Thuli Madonsela was also appointed by President Zuma. So also were two commissioners of police who can hardly be accused of subjecting themselves to political manipulation.
The in-built checks in all appointments by the President, including the ANC Deployment Committee and the Cabinet have never been shown to be ineffectual.
Below the surface in the narrative are ideological tensions and party political agendas.
Everybody knows that opposing parties and groups will find any possible opportunity to attack and unsettle the ruling party and the leadership of President Zuma. It is instructive that in all the allegations made against President Zuma, significant detail is missing. One is always left with "smoking guns" and "smoke" without the necessary substantive details. Huffing and puffing.
Sometimes elements within the ruling party who habitually act as "free agents" are paraded as the defenders of the values of the party whose leadership they spurn and defame. It is not far-fetched that competing business interests are present. There is no evidence whatsoever that the Gupta family, however questionable their methods, are the main beneficiaries of government-related business.
The reason for opposition attacks on the ANC is its policies of transforming an economic and political system that reproduces poverty and marginalization of the majority of the population that was bolstered by Apartheid.
People do not eat slogans regardless whether they are shouted by the political left or right. The slogan of fighting State Capture is simply that. It carefully obscures the fundamental challenge of radical improvement of the quality of life of the majority of citizens.
What South Africa needs desperately is the kind of "social patriotism" exemplified by the recent International Investment Roadshow led by Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan.
We can boldly assert that the current brouhaha about State Capture has little foundation and serves only to deflect attention from the urgent and long-term task of growing the economy and level of employment.
Vuso Shabalala is a Political Advisor at the Presidency and writes in his personal capacity.
