The ANC is allowing itself to be pushed out as the dominant force in our politics, presumably unwittingly.
As democracy retreats worldwide, SA was given a scary foretaste this week outside the state capture inquiry of what is to come if it continues on its current trajectory. If the ANC does not realise that the EFF's attacks on its ministers are an attack on the party and democracy itself, it is hopelessly naive and has lost the political acumen and maturity it was once — a long time ago, admittedly — renowned for.
The radical views of those at the fringe of society have been shown to come to the fore during times of economic crisis and political collapse. Writers in Venezuela and Brazil can attest to this as South America reels from the rise of fascism. In SA, the situation is ripe for the country to follow the same path. The state is already buckling under the weight of more than a decade of maladministration, rot and looting.
The auditor-general’s finding of a more than 200% rise in fruitless and wasteful expenditure indicates that profound decay has taken root in government.
Witness testimony under oath before the commission of inquiry into state capture chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo is starting to reveal the true extent of the state capture project under former president Jacob Zuma. It was revealed this week that he took a “profound interest” in matters from which a president should under normal circumstances keep a healthy distance. He interfered in the appointment of the boards of state-owned entities, for instance, which he did not have the legislative power to do.
The commission of inquiry into the SA Revenue Service (Sars), chaired by retired judge Robert Nugent, has painted a similar picture on a micro level of what led to the destruction of Sars and a R100bn revenue shortfall over the past four years. And earlier this week the auditor general released a scathing report illustrating that overall audit outcomes have continued to regress alarmingly at both national and provincial departments. Worryingly, he also reported a “blatant disregard” for recommendations from his office by some departments. This resulted in little improvement in accountability in government spending.
The auditor-general’s finding of a more than 200% rise in fruitless and wasteful expenditure indicates that decay has taken root in government. Irregular expenditure stood at R51bn, R1bn more than was budgeted for free higher education. Having to find the money to fund free higher education led to a percentage point increase in the rate of VAT.
SA’s political left, while on the retreat following the destruction of the Congress of SA Trade Unions, the SA Communist Party appearing more schizophrenic by the day and the entry of a new workers' party catalysed by the ousted National Union of Metalworkers of SA, is disjointed, scattered and unlikely to have any meaningful impact on the electoral space.
The centre and the right, characterised by the DA as the official opposition, continues to offer little in the way of a clear alternative. The removal of its mayor in Cape Town, the so-called jewel in its governance crown, showed that the party is not immune to the infighting, corruption and nepotism that has plagued the governing party.
As Venezuelan blogger Francisco Toro noted recently, “when the system fails, power falls to the fringe”. The fringe in our case is the EFF, and its goal is to ensure the system fails. This is clear from the stance adopted by the party toward the state capture inquiry, and its approach to governance in the metros — think Nelson Mandela Bay. The EFF is seeking to stymie what could be the ANC’s last chance to restore faith in its ability to govern.
In the case of both the state capture and Sars inquiries the EFF has pulled out all the stops to attack the process as well as those involved in it. Earlier this week it called Zondo commission evidence leader and former anti-apartheid activist Paul Pretorius a “bastard” for doing his job. Another state capture inquiry evidence leader Vincent Maleka has received similar treatment. But the real vitriol has been reserved for public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan, who the EFF described as a dog that should be beaten until his masters emerge.
While ostensibly defending former Sars commissioner Tom Moyane at the Nugent inquiry, advocate and EFF chairman Dali Mpofu went all out to undermine the attempts that have been made to restore the tax agency to a semblance of normality.
Outside the hearing, the party sent Gordhan a list of questions on his time at Sars that was cut and pasted from wild allegations made by anonymous Moyane backers that have been circulating online for months. The goal is clearly to counter perceptions that it was Moyane who brought Sars to its knees by laying the blame at Gordhan’s door.
The party thrives on chaos, a habit that was encouraged by the ANC itself when it failed to clamp down on its youth league when it was led by Malema.
If there are any democrats left in the governing party, which is debatable, they are running out of time to act if SA is to avoid the path to economic ruin and democratic collapse followed by Venezuela, and more recently Brazil. If power falls to the fringe in SA we are doomed.
• Marrian is political editor.
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