Is anyone in charge of the government?
A few days ago, we were advised that Minister Susan Shabangu was the acting president of South Africa. Well yes; but is anyone actually in charge of government even when both President Zuma and Deputy President Ramaphosa are at home and not attending foreign conferences?
Mr Ramaphosa, speaking at the Stofile funeral, referred to the government of which he is a prominent member as a government “at war with itself.”
We have the peculiar - some would say highly irregular—position that over-mighty party functionaries like Gwede Mantashe and Jessie Duarte, neither of them even members of parliament, let alone cabinet ministers, lecture South Africans constantly and seem to have the task of praising, blaming and even calling ministers to order. They express opinions about government matters that are far outside their levels of expertise and they sometimes contradict each other. They did so glaringly over the Pravin Gordhan/ Hawks standoff. Mantashe said that Gordhan was being humiliated by the way in which the affair was being run.
Duarte, obviously ignorant of the constitution and the law, opined that Gordhan should not believe he was above the law and should co-operate with the Hawks. Quite apart from the farcical nature of the possible charges and the questionable conduct of the head of the Hawks, she has clearly not heard that an accused person has the right to remain silent, not least after answering in writing all questions put to him and being advised that he was not a suspect.
Again one asks, is anyone in charge? Wherever one looks in government, officials and appointees, as well as some ministers, have become far too big for their boots. Co-operative governance, cabinet co-responsibility, collegiality, mutual respect even, have disappeared. And there are no consequences. No one (except sometimes Mantashe) tells them all to keep quiet and focus on the jobs they are paid to do.
Deputy Defence Minister Kebby Maphatsoe, known in his past life as the hero of Quatro Camp, feels entitled to express personal opinions about his seniors who are cabinet ministers.
The junior member of the cabinet, Minister Des van Rooyen, wearing a clownish camouflage battle dress, saw fit to launch a personal attack on one of the most senior ministers, Pravin Gordhan.
The Gupta appointed minister of mineral resources, Mosebenzi Zwane who knows little about international banking independence requirements, recommended that the licensing of banks be removed from the Reserve Bank and given to the minister of finance.
Ms Duarte, also unschooled about financial matters, said the ANC wanted to know why the Rand was “so jumpy.” She said the Reserve Bank ought to cushion the Rand but because it is privately owned, “we have difficulty.” She was put firmly in her place by SARB but the question remains: what on earth is the ANCs deputy secretary general doing by expressing her ignorant opinions and undermining the work of a vitally important institution?
Even the communist ministers are starting to attack their own government. They are now at odds with the president as they put a brave face on a possible re-shuffle leaving them out of the cabinet. They are now not prepared to condone the thievery going on in government, forgetting their silence up to now and their call for a law to protect the president from being “insulted.” They think the president has too much power and should not be able to appoint ministers without other (presumably their) input.
Of course, the rot at national level extends far further than the carryings-on of these politicians. The chairperson of SAA has already seen off several ministers, including Nene, Brown, Gordhan and Ramaphosa. Her close friend, President Zuma, will now supervise her. One hopes that with his expert knowledge of aviation and his experience of running a multi-billion Rand business, combined with that of primary school teacher Ms Myeni, a rapid restoration of the fortunes of our national airline is at hand.
Many state owned enterprises are not operating satisfactorily; many are dysfunctional and lamentably poor governance seems to be common.
Eskom is accused by Treasury of lying to the public in relation to a Gupta family-owned mine.
The SABC ignores court orders and the mighty COO feels entitled to describe members of parliament before whom he is appearing as “not honourable.”
The minister of communications ignores ANC policy, ensuring that South Africa trails years behind with the introduction of digital TV.
Denel is at war with the Treasury over a partnership arrangement with the Guptas.
PRASA has cost the taxpayer unnecessary billions. It is at war with the minster who does not want a proper investigation into the reasons for the wastage, leading one to wonder whose interests are being protected. The list is endless.
The worst aspect of no one being in charge is the sense of drift. The failure to take firm action that will solve the challenging economic climate is alarming. A government at war with itself that does not know what it is doing cannot give the country the lead that it requires.
Do these people not realise they are playing with fire? Don’t they foresee that many of them are heading for a good long period in opposition? Nothing switches the voters off more quickly than the realisation that they and their interests are not what counts. The ANC has created an image of arrogance and corruption. This, together with their belief that irrespective of bad government, they will rule “until Jesus comes,” persuaded several million voters to turn their backs on the ANC in the local government elections.
If these ministers and officials do not change their ways, they could find Mmusi Maimane and the combined opposition negotiating a coalition government in 2019. There is now precedent for that.
Douglas Gibson is a former Opposition Chief Whip and former ambassador to Thailand.
This article first appeared in The Star.
