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The power of political connection

02 July 2010 Gareth Stokes
Gareth Stokes, FAnews Online Editor

Gareth Stokes, FAnews Online Editor

If you’re looking for a top public sector job then you’d better dust off your African National Congress (ANC) membership card. As a loyal party cadre – once deployed – you’ll become virtually untouchable. In the unlikely event the public succeeds in havin

Early in June, for example, it emerged that disgraced ex-Land Bank ‘acting’ chief executive had been rewarded with a senior position, allegedly as CEO of the Limpopo Agricultural Development Corporation. Phil Mohlahlane was dismissed from his former position at the Land Bank following a forensic audit into billions of rand in unaccounted for expenditure. He was accused of personally enriching himself from the fund, as well as channelling funds to enable certain politically well-connected individuals to lead lavish lifestyles. “The Minister must explain exactly why Mohlahlane’s shameful past conduct has now been entirely ignored and why he is to now be trusted with any sort of responsibility where public funds are involved,” lamented Democratic Alliance (DA) MP, Lourie Bosman. “Unfortunately, this reshuffling of corrupt officials is business as usual for the ANC government.”

The Transnet case

How long, we wonder, before the Transnet Freight Rail (TRF) chief executive – the politically connected Siyabonga Gama – is redeployed? Gama was ‘summarily dismissed’ on Tuesday, 29 June 2010. An independent chairman recommended this drastic step after studying a 200-page document in which Gama was found guilty of all the charges of misconduct levelled against him – including one of an irretrievable breakdown in his relationship with Transnet. “The latter charge, which was added during the hearing, arose from sustained public attacks mounted by Mr Gama, through his attorney, on the Company’s Board and Executive, whilst the other charges related to two procurement contracts (one for specialised security services and the other for the refurbishment of 50 locomotives) by TFR under Mr Gama’s watch,” the company said in a statement.

The anti-corruption brigade will no doubt welcome the decision to dismiss Gama after a relatively short (by today’s standards) 10-month suspension. But they’ll be less impressed with the ruling party’s response to Gama’s alleged transgressions. Gama apparently awarded a contract worth R19 million (despite having authority to sign up to R10 million only) to a security firm connected to current communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda. Don’t hold your breath for any ANC censure! The organisation – better suited to struggle politics than corporate governance – has turned a blind eye to allegations of corruption thus far. When push came to shove they chose to jeopardise their relationship with an alliance partner (the Congress of South African Trade Unions – Cosatu) rather than address allegations of improper conduct levelled at a member of the inner circle! Cosatu (under Zwelinzima Vavi) had accused President Jacob Zuma of failing to investigate allegations of corruption against certain ministers of government.

Tenderpreneurs

Corruption is so endemic in South Africa we’ve actually coined a phrase for it – tenderpreneurs – referring to the hundreds of politically well-connected individuals who start companies on the guarantee of receiving lucrative government contracts. These contracts are awarded for any manner of good or service, including multi-million rand infrastructure projects, regardless of the tendering companies’ ability to deliver.

The buck stops where

Should we turn to the country’s President and one time head of the moral regeneration campaign for assistance? President Jacob Zuma – lest we forget – sidestepped a corruption trial when the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) withdrew charges against him. The ruling party quickly moved to install him as President of the country, thus – or so they believed – guaranteeing a permanent stay of prosecution. But the official opposition has other plans. The Democratic Alliance (DA) is petitioning the High Court in an attempt to get the Director of Public Prosecutions to reinstate the case against Zuma. It’s a long shot, but the law is a strange animal.

Zuma’s defence attorney used the rather bizarre ‘prosecuting the President is unconstitutional’ argument during opening statements. Senior advocate, Kemp J Kemp said the DA had no legal standing “to seek an order that a state organ must act unconstitutionally by reinstating the prosecution.” The gist of his ‘defence’ was that Zuma wouldn’t be able to take care of matters of State if he spent all his time tied up in court. But it hardly makes sense given the number of chief executives and senior staff on suspension at public institutions pending serious allegations against them. If the President has a case to answer he should simply join this queue of suspended individuals while the Deputy President takes over his duties. Until government gets tough on corruption in its ranks, citizens have no choice but to treat with contempt the President’s repeated calls to tackle corruption.

Editor’s thoughts: Each time you page through the Sunday Times or Mail & Guardian you find more examples of greed and corruption at state-run institutions. The ANC talks tough on corruption – but backs corrupt political appointees at every turn – going so far as to back such a candidate for the Presidency. How do we tackle corruption when so many senior executives have their fingers in the pie? Add your comment below, or send them to gareth@fanews.co.za

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