Political connectivity with the African National Congress (ANC) appears to be ruling the roost regarding government deals and contracts, official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Tony Leon argued on Friday.
Writing in his weekly newsletter, the DA leader also argued that the potential damage that corruption could do to South Africa’s international standing was evidenced in a survey by foreign investors, which ”should be sending shock waves through the halls of power”.
”The survey is a joint report by the British, Italian, Swedish and German chambers of commerce in this country, representing multinationals with a combined turnover of more than R100-billion,” noted Leon.
The survey found that member companies were contemplating massive disinvestments from South Africa owing to high crime levels and corruption.
Despite confidence in the economy and enjoying favourable returns, the companies cited had registered strong reactions to perceived incompetence and cronyism, reported the DA leader.
”The figures the survey carries are disturbing: a sizeable majority of respondents were ‘very pessimistic’ about crime (69%), corruption (77%) and incompetence in the public service (73%), and are consequently reconsidering billions of rands worth of investment.”
Leon noted that a group of ANC-aligned politicians-cum-businessmen — their numbers include activist Mkhuseli Jack; Andrew Jordaan, brother of South Africa’s 2010 chief executive officer Danny Jordaan; and former deputy president Jacob Zuma’s niece Yvonne — were bidding for a sizeable stake in the R1,5-billion construction of the projected 2010 World Cup stadium in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.
”This is an example of the patronage brigade at work. What those individuals have done, or will do, to enhance the building project is a moot point; what they do have, of course, and perhaps the only thing they give, is political connectivity — the only basis on which they can be considered seriously as members of such a consortium.
”Will this be the modus operandi for every stadium built in the run-up to 2010? Will it be only in Cape Town, under its DA-led coalition government, that ties to the ruling party will not be an automatic ticket to inclusion in the winning tender?
”The ruling party’s blithe espousal of its so-called progressive business forum (PBF) offers further pressing evidence of the blurring boundary between party and state.
”That the ANC refuses to see this bald fund-raising scheme as anything other than a legitimate exercise offers glaring proof of the kind of official attitude which troubles the European corporations.”
Pointing to the example of Kenya, Leon noted it had been wracked by corruption in high places.
In 2004 it launched a state-sponsored drive to root out unbridled nepotism in all government offices amid plaudits from Transparency International.
”We need a similarly resolute state-sponsored drive — including ‘zero tolerance’ towards offenders, however well-connected — in South Africa.” — I-Net Bridge