The Public Protector’s token efforts will not save us from the Guptas
1 August 2017
My fellow South Africans,
This morning I visited the homes of families here in Morokweng, and I was left saddened and angry at the conditions than many people here have to live in.
You have a government that no longer cares what happens to you here in this far-flung corner of the country. You simply don’t matter to them any longer, because they have become a government that looks after themselves and their friends first, and the people last.
A government that cares about the wealth of President Zuma and the Guptas instead of the welfare of ordinary men, women and children like you.
Every Rand that has been diverted towards the Guptas – and there have already been billions – is money that could have made a difference in your lives.
Last month the Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, announced that she would be launching a new investigation into State Capture. But she didn’t give us any details of whom or what she intended to investigate. Of course we were skeptical, given her track record in office to date.
So I wrote to her and asked her to explain the scope of this new investigation. Since the previous Public Protector’s Report we’ve seen hundreds of thousands of Gupta emails leaked to the press, directly implicating the President and the three Gupta brothers in the looting of our resources. She has enough evidence to investigate this matter right to the very top.
A month later, on the 18th of July, I received a reply from her office in which she informed me that her investigation would focus on three things:
1. Eskom complaints, including the appointment of Briand Molefe as CEO, the awarding of contracts to Matshela Koko’s daughter, the role of Minister Lynne Brown in the reappointment of Molefe, and allegations by former Minister Ramathlodi that Molefe and Ben Ngubane pressurised him into securing the Glencore mine for the Guptas.
2. Transnet complaints, including allegations of a R5.3bn kickback on locomotive procurement, the role of Malusi Gigaba in the appointment of Iqbal Shama and Brian Molefe to the Transnet board, and the role of Regiments Capital and Trillian Capital in the procurement of freight locomotives.
3. New State Capture allegations, including the leaking of confidential information to the Guptas by Faith Muthambi, and allegations of South African immigration officials positioned in India to assist Gupta associates and businesses.
Now, I welcome this investigation, as I am sure most South Africans would. But anyone can see what is missing here. Despite a mountain of evidence, she has deliberately avoided going after the four main players in this corrupt super-syndicate: Jacob Zuma, Atul Gupta, Ajay Gupta and Rajesh Gupta.
Everyone else is just a minor player in this saga. They are just the foot soldiers who had to open the doors, grease the wheels and cover the tracks of the real criminals. Advocate Mkhwebane’s failure to even mention these people leads me to one conclusion only: She has no intention of doing her sworn duty because the independence of her office is severely compromised.
Fellow South Africans,
Until we rid our government of the parasites that suck our country dry, communities like this will always suffer. Because it is impossible to serve both the Guptas’ greed and the people’s needs.
This ANC government has proven, over and over again, that it does not have the will to kick a corrupt president and his corrupt cronies out. Our only hope lies in a fresh start under a new government. And this is where you come in. Because only through the power of your vote can we save our country.
In the 2019 election, you will have the opportunity to do just that. But for many of you it will mean doing something you’ve never done before. It will mean turning your back on the ANC, like they have already turned their back on you.
I assure you, if you lend the DA your vote in 2019, we will make your needs our priority. We will not forget this community.
Issue by Mmusi Maimane, Leader of the Democratic Alliance, 1 August 2017
