Phala Phala: ANC has already forgotten lessons learnt with state capture

27 September 2022

The lessons learnt with state capture have seemingly already been forgotten even though the ink on the judicial inquiry report is still wet.

As regards state capture, South Africa's intelligence services indicated in 2009 already that the Gupta family poses a serious security risk for South Africa.

On 30 April 2010, the Mail & Guardian reported in the government's irregular involvement in the Guptas' New Age newspaper.

On 2 March 2011, it was already widely known that the Guptas had been rewarded for their political and financial support to former President Jacob Zuma.

On 7 March 2011, Minister Gwede Mantasha dismissed criticisms of government ties with the Guptas as racism.

In April 2013, the Guptas landed their private planes on the Waterkloof Air Force Base.

On 26 May 2013, during a parliamentary debate on the Waterkloof incident, Minister Jeff Radebe said that opposition parties are quick to judge without even having any proof.

And this is exactly what ANC Members of Parliament, in particular, are saying about Phala Phala.

All allegations of state capture were simply ignored and, in the process, the executive authority was not held accountable. As a result, billions of rand was stolen and public enterprises were destroyed.

A well-known cliché states that: "History does not repeat itself, it is we who repeat it," through our actions. And the actions of the ANC's Members of Parliament exemplify this.

Accountability is an outstanding feature of a modern democratic government. Without it, democracy is meaningless.

The judicial inquiry into state capture clearly showed how Parliament failed to perform its oversight role. And now it is happening again. The ANC views Parliament as a rubber stamp to be misused by the executive authority.

Serious allegations of the abuse of power and various government departments being implicated in matters like Phala Phala must be investigated by Parliament, and the executive authority must be held accountable.

The ANC is dismissing the Phala phala matter, just like it dismissed state capture as mere allegations. And just like with state capture, regret will probably come too late when the damage has already been done.

Issued by Wouter Wessels, FF Plus MP, 27 September 2022