Things government said and did in 2022 that made us go WTF [Part two]

Our report recalling South African government WTF moments continues with this second and final installment.

Part one explored how our leaders navigated the country ravaged by woeful misgovernance, political instability and rampant corruption.

As the nation, we’ve come to accept that the only constant through all this is our government’s ‘pearls of wisdom’, or as we, the nation, experience their contributions- WTF moments.

We must remember that most of their time in office is spent jostling for power, so it’s not surprising government lives in a reality that is very different to ours.

Here are some of our minister’s most outrageous remarks… while their constituents survive life in never-ending load shedding, driving on storm-ravaged roads littered with crater-sized-potholes, enduring the obscene plundering of state infrastructure, and a shrinking tax-paying base.

Lindiwe Sisulu – Minister of Tourism

Blaming the constitution for poverty

A few times this year Sisulu had us scratching our heads or genuinely wondering if she could be the ANC’s equivalent of tone-deaf Helen Zille.

She kicked off 2022 with a scathing attack on the Constitution, and the judiciary while labelling the country’s judges as ‘House Negroes’.

Her extraordinary critique argued that South Africa’s Constitution had failed to lift the masses from poverty… I pity the person that had to explain to the veteran ANC member that constitutions don’t address poverty problems, that responsibility lies solely with the governing party – where she’s enjoyed lifelong membership as served as a Cabinet minister since 1994.

ALSO READ: Gungubele condemns Sisulu article as ‘recklessness of the highest order’

Sisulu’s confusing message about crime in SA

In another sterling example of how far removed ANC politicians are from SA’s lived reality, Sisulu, amid the murder of a German tourist, declared South Africa is safe for tourists.

At least 71 people are murdered daily in South Africa, and that doesn’t even take into account the other crimes such as gender-based violence, vehicle hijackings, robberies and murders.

Coupling the high crime rate is a practically zero-confidence level in police to tackle criminals.

Attacks on Ramaphosa

NOW READ: Lindiwe Sisulu criticises Ramaphosa, insists he must step aside

For a minister that has been in government since 1994, Sisulu’s attacks on Ramaphosa during the contestation for ANC president are hypocritical at best.

She accused Ramaphosa of securing the ANC presidency through “money”. However, she failed to report the corruption to law enforcement.

This is the same minister under which the Water and Sanitation NRRTT, during March 2019 and the State of Disaster, billed the almost bankrupt department over R3.7 million in travel and accommodation expenses.

If one of us plebs took a swipe at our bosses on a public platform, we’d be hauled through a disciplinary hearing before being fired, but for Sisulu it’s just another day in privileged paradise.

ALSO READ: Sisulu’s Rapid Response Team spends R3.73 million on travel expenses – DA

Nathi Mthethwa – Minister of Arts and Culture

Remember the R22 million flag?

Despite the widespread uproar over the R22 million flag project, Mthethwa not only famously defended the spending, but he also went on to call the uproar disingenuous.

‘It’s the mandate of the department to create among other things monuments and this flag is a monument for democracy in this country and we make no bones about that,” he said.

ALSO READ: ‘Disingenuous to say it’s not important’: Mthethwa defends R22 million flag project

Mthethwa dug his heels in further and cited AfriForum’s legal battle relating to the apartheid-era flag to make his case.

Fikile Mbalula – Minister of Transport

From the computerised licence renewal system to Prasa and e-tolls, nothing can survive the Mbaks touch.

Renew your drivers license or get a pineapple enema?

It’s fair to assume there’s no love lost between Mbalula and every citizen who tried to renew their drivers license.

It’s hard not to develop hatred as bitter as Marmite when you are navigating through the disaster that is e-Natis and coming to terms with the fact that South Africa only owns one drivers license printing machine and it needs to be serviced in Germany.

Throughout the rage inducing process that comes with license renewal, one can’t help but feel that if there was a choice between that or getting a pineapple enema, there’s a more fruitful experience waiting at the end of pineapple.

ALSO READ: Mbalula cooking up a plan to deal with broken driver’s licence machine

What are you doing in Ukraine? – dare we ask?

The ‘most visible minister on Twitter‘ also got a ‘tad’ touchy when a journalist had the nerve to inquire about a tweet about landing in the Ukraine.

He then went on to accuse the journalist of trying to piggy back on his popularity. At the time of writing this, one’s eyeballs ran out of space to roll.

ALSO READ: ‘You want to be famous at my expense’ – Mbalula slams journalist who asked about Ukraine tweet

That time Mbaks went to court to prevent himself from executing his mandate

When inter-provincial bus operators laid bare the terrifying and deadly environment under which they have been forced to operate – the Eastern Cape High court ordered Mbalula to take “positive steps’ to put a stop to attacks, apparently by disgruntled taxi associations.

So apart from the court ordering the minister to provide a safe working environment for bus operators and the passengers ie: do his job, Mbalula decided to appeal that ruling to get out of doing his job…WTF?

ALSO READ: Mbalula’s appeal of court order to protect Intercape a refusal to do the job he’s paid for

Cyril Ramaphosa – President of the Republic

Out of all our government mamparas, Ramaphosa takes the cupcake.

Head of ANC renewal, face of anti-corruption, SA’s first buffalo gave us the biggest WTF moment in 2022.

Buffalo down

One can’t help but feel a morsel of empathy for the once shrewd business man and master negotiator when the world learned that even the president loathes paying his taxes and is hoarding hard foreign currency in typical doomsday prepper fashion – why exactly Mr President? Do you know something we don’t?

And yet he continues to insist that he did nothing wrong and would have us all believe that animal collectors walking into auctions with bags of cash is normal business practice.

Perhaps the most scathing indictment is the lack of a docket or case number with the Saps registering this burglary. Is it because Ramaphosa shares our lack of trust in police to catch criminals?

ALSO READ: Parliament to finally consider the Phala Phala report

Zuma 2.0

Like the Fast and Furious franchise, the ANC’s law and order series which has been running since 2005, just got a new lead. (Not unlike that time The Rock hijacked the Fast franchise with Hobb’s and Shaw.)

Except, Zuma’s role as the star or serial court challenger is being reduced slowly to a supporting role and storyline, while Ramaphosa’s legal battles are expected to take over as the lead in this series.

But, we’ve seen this before and the reboot, like all reboots is expected to be a cheaper knock off of the original.

ALSO READ: Zuma’s call for rebellion against Ramaphosa at Nasrec ‘very reckless’

The ministerial handbook

While his constituents struggle to make ends meet during the highest cost of living crisis in human history, Ramaphosa decided to make life a bit easier for cabinet ministers already living on bloated salaries by bequeathing them with free basic services.

Ja…that one stung stung especially while we are living through the effects of two decades of woeful incompetence at the hands of government.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa ‘hid’ fact that taxpayers would pay for ministers’ water, electricity, generators – DA

Living in South Africa will really make one wish the things just killed us, we are tired of getting stronger.

Ramaphosa: Chapter Two

So it would appear the writing on the wall, South Africa looks set to be led by another corruption-tainted president.

In the cart of rotting ANC apples, Ramaphosa is like that one apple where you can cut off the rot in a bid to salvage a few pieces of edible fruit.

God be with us, and may the odds be ever our favour.

Compiled by Narissa Subramoney