Anti-corruption Cyril is like Santa

Now that President Jacob Zuma is increasing looking like a lame duck as Ramaphosa (in his position as head of the ruling ANC) begins to execute on his promises of a political clean-up, Zuma’s supporters are amazingly quiet.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and The Hawks – long moribund because the leaders of the organisations were doing the bidding of Zuma and keeping him out of jail – are moving with vigour to tackle the accusations of state capture and they are zooming in on the ones involving the Gupta family. It has been widely reported that some or all of the Gupta brothers face imminent arrest, as do others from their business network.

It is also said that Minerals Minister Mosebenzi Zwane – who was the MEC for agriculture in the Free State when R220 million of taxpayer money was allegedly laundered to Gupta-linked businesses via the Estina dairy project – could be Accused Number One when the Estina matter finally comes to court. The Guptas could also be on that accused list.

Last week, we saw Ramaphosa’s new board sweeping clean at Eskom, although its head of generation, Matshela Koko – also implicated in dodgy behaviour – is hanging on by his fingernails. And Brian Molefe – another one of the habitues of the “Saxonwold shebeen” has been ordered to pay back R11 million of his bogus pension payout.

A satisfying aspect of the whole justice process is that assets have been frozen, which means we (the citizens of South Africa) will at least get some of our money back. That could make it a happy new year indeed…

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