[imagesource: Tebogo Letsie/City Press]

‘As we have learnt over the past decade or so, looters gonna loot, and a global pandemic isn’t going to stop them.

Whilst the majority of South Africans were impressed with our government’s decisive, early action to curb the spread of COVID-19, the tide of public sentiment seems to have done a 180 over the past few months.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been criticised for being “afraid to lead”, as he bows to pressures exerted by unions, addresses the country every so often at 8PM, and then hurries away before the media can ask any questions.

As for the party he leads? Well, “a grotesque failure” and a “never-ending race to the bottom” were terms used recently, and Zapiro’s sharp pen perfectly captured the farce surrounding Andrew Mlangeni’s death.

When it comes to getting nasty, though, there are few in the business better than the Daily Maverick’s Richard Poplak, who has already had a pop or two at President Ramaphosa’s COVID-19 response.

His most recent effort talks of a “feeding frenzy that would have been impolite even under Zuma”, as money meant to help the most vulnerable of citizens, in their hour of dire need, is gobbled up by ‘covidpreneurs’ and ANC criminality.

You can read it in full here, but let’s quote a few standout attacks:

The R500-billion relief package that Ramaphosa promised in April was a spectacular repurposing of available resources — a PR exercise posing as a “stimulus” package. The Unemployment Insurance Fund disbursement has been a nightmare. (Sassa itself admitted that “85% of UIF cases that were previously deemed unqualifying, actually qualify.”) Small Business Development has been even worse. The R200-billion Covid guarantee loan scheme has spent only R12-billion, a bureaucratic failure so disgraceful that in Edo-era Japan it would have resulted in wholesale ritual suicide. As for the newly-gazetted R340-billion infrastructure fund? The ANC has a not-so-great track record with such things.

And now, the IMF has waded into the muck with a $4.3-billion “low cost” loan. This institution is about to be provided with an education in looting, which, while ostensibly hilarious, will be bankrolled by your children. In all of this, the reign of Ramaphosa was supposed to result in a photo negative of the Zuma years — a New Dawn of squeaky-clean governance and anti-corruption dragnetting. And yet Zuma keeps Zooming with Zuma, Ace Magashule keeps Acing with impunity, and Deputy President DD Mabuza provides a toxic non-presence as the unknowable ghost on a top six that Ramaphosa does not command.

All talk, and big promises, but the worst of the worst still wander the halls of Luthuli House, without a worry in the world.

Remember this?

“The era of impunity is over. We are now entering the era of accountability. We are now entering the era of consequence.” Cyril Ramaphosa, 5 May 2019

— ANC Quotes (@QuotesAnc) July 27, 2020

It’s estimated that at least R5 billion of the R50-billion COVID-19 emergency procurement fund has been looted (some would say that’s a conservative guess), and even those within literal touching distance of Ramaphosa himself dipped a toe in the water.

Consider this – Ramaphosa’s own spokesperson, Khusela Diko, is now on “a leave of absence” (paid for sitting at home, doing nada), because a company part-owned by her husband, Madzikane II Thandisizwe Diko, scored two lovely tenders, amounting to R125 million.

Even ex-minister Nomvula Mokonyane’s daughter got in on the action, with Katleho Mokonyane securing nearly R3 million in tenders from the state, despite her company only being established essentially a few months ago.

Remember this?

“South Africa will soon be corruption free.” Cyril Ramaphosa, 26 November 2018

— ANC Quotes (@QuotesAnc) January 13, 2019

Back to Poplak, and how we, as a country, can make sure the money set aside (and loaned from the IMF) actually reaches those in need:

As the old factional divisions in the ANC dissipate into even smaller micro-cabals, Ramaphosa slips further and further away from the power he never had. The National Prosecuting Authority remains on permanent vacation; SARS is camped out in cigarette factories enforcing Dlamini Zuma’s cigarette ban; the borders are a smugglers’ paradise; the Special Investigative Unit is buried under paper and incapacity…

…we need to decouple political connections from Covid-19 procurement funds. Ramaphosa is obfuscating when he insists the corruption will be prosecuted. The corruption must be prevented, or the money will be permanently lost to the Ferrari and Rolls Royce dealers. Treasury can do this if they have the necessary support.

All the rest is up to the kindness of individual South Africans, the charity of corporates, the scrutiny of the media, and the activism of civil society. In other words: let’s keep doing democracy, while the ANC keeps doing us.

That’s perhaps the saddest part of it all.

Ordinary South Africans are doing the hard yards where they can, coming together to provide relief in various forms, and up the top of the food chain, the noses are buried deep in the trough and the eating continues unabated.

[source:dailymaverick]