Foxy Zuma’s heading of the Sassa panel only spells danger

Zuma is not to be trusted as he changes his tune too often.

President Jacob Zuma is seen outside the Rietgat Police Station where he briefly addressed media, 28 February 2017, Soshanguve, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Warning! Danger! Fox takes charge of henhouse!

Alarm bells are ringing after the announcement that President Jacob Zuma will chair an interministerial committee to ensure the Constitutional Court order on SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) grants is carried out.

He is not to be trusted. He changes his tune too often. He does not respect court orders. He lacks credibility. His real aim is to dilute the influence of the judges.

Some ministers on the committee have shabby track records. Bathabili Dlamini and Faith Muthambi have shown contempt for parliament and the courts. Dlamini has not explained why she ignored previous ConCourt instructions, while Muthambi snubbed MPs and judges in her attempts to keep Hlaudi Motsoeneng as SABC honcho.

The public is not fooled. We know there is a conflict of interest. The aim of the court order is to correct dereliction of duty by Dlamini. If Zuma and colleagues had been doing their jobs, there would have been no committee. There would not have been a court order.

The court order seeks to ensure Dlamini does her job. She knows Zuma will not discipline her because he needs her support if he wants to stay out of jail. Without the ANC Women’s League, headed by Dlamini, Zuma cannot control the outcome of December’s elective conference, where he wants Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to succeed him.

Zuma says he will be taking charge of the process which is supposed to wean Sassa from Cash Paymaster Services (CPS). But the ConCourt, not Zuma Inc, has control in this matter.

Dlamini has to file affidavits every three months detailing progress in making alternative arrangements for the payment of 17.2 million grants. Given what’s happened thus far, there is a better chance of the pension payout system being sorted if Zuma and friends don’t get involved. There is suspicion they are motivated by self-interest rather than justice for grant recipients.

Last week, Zuma flip-flopped. In parliament, he was defiant, saying there was no grant payout crisis. He mocked “funny democracy” and giggled at calls for ministerial accountability.

Within 24 hours, the ConCourt delivered its judgment and Zuma apologised unreservedly. When should we believe him, if ever? Zuma has displayed a lack of integrity over many issues, including Nkandla. It is laughable to think he could add credibility to any grant payout solution. Be on the alert for further duplicity.

Dlamini is not a paragon of probity either. She was found guilty of R254 000 fraud in the Travelgate scandal. According to the DA, her bill was paid by BEE partners of CPS, while the UDM says Dlamini arrived at an Eastern Cape funeral using a CPS helicopter.

No doubt there are rewards for being friendly with CPS. The profits made from our poorest citizens are immense. For example, CPS chief executive Serge Belamant paid R70 million cash for a home in Guildford, UK, shortly after securing the Sassa contract. Good thing he’s not a white monopoly capitalist.

Billions of rand are at stake – hence dirty tricks and intimidation of people connected to Sassa. Let justice not be outfoxed.