Zuma still wields clout among grassroots ANC members despite his graft-tainted image
AFP

As this year's International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) kickstarted in Washington on Dec. 6 with the heme of uproot corruption, South Africa's deputy president David Mabuza fell victim to a pair of interlinked criminal enterprises that cost the national exchequer more than R35-billion.

All eyes were on 62-year-old Mabuza, an elusive figure in the African National Congress (ANC), after President Cyril Ramaphosa found a place in a graft case involving theft of hundreds of thousands (and possibly millions) of dollars hidden inside a sofa at his Phala Phala game farm in early 2020.

There were rumors that Mabuza would step into Ramaphosa's shoes once the president quit office over a corruption case in December-end. The president - a tycoon once backed by Nelson Mandela to succeed him - has claimed that he was innocent.

Despite Mabuza being at the center of multiple investigations, the ANC always preferred him to balance tribal and regional forces within Africa's oldest liberation party.

Again, the ANC was in no mood to disown Mabuza after the new case against him was filed on Dec. 5. The party spokesperson, Pule Mabe, said the case was simply a distraction.

In this case, Mabuza is named as the top suspect involved in crimes, including theft, fraud, perjury and intimidation.

High-level corruption has been part and parcel of the ANC. Former President Thabo Mbeki was sacked at the party conference in December 2007, after he allegedly conspired to have his successor, Jacob Zuma, falsely implicated in a criminal case.

Zuma was admonished by the party in 2017 and barred from holding high-level offices. Then it was the turn of Ramaphosa to resort to Mbeki's old games, using the government agencies to frame Zuma, as alleged by his supporters.

Going by the high-level corruption in the country, involving presidents and ministers, the ANC's Integrity Commission was proved toothless on many occasions and the party's entire anti-corruption machinery does not work.

In 2016, the commission, headed by Andrew Mlangeni, told Zuma to put in his papers over graft charges. Zuma, however, refused and nothing happened to him.

In 2019, Mabuza took the commission to task, delaying Ramaphosa's selection of the entire cabinet under the guise of seeking time to be cleared by the Integrity Commission. Later, Mabuza took office, under the false impression that the panel had shown the green signal and nothing happened to Mabuza also.

Known as "The Cat" after he survived a bid to poison him, Mabuza has been somewhat untouched throughout his political career despite several scandals.

The ANC - a party so long in power - is plagued with internal feuds and open warfare. The party is due to select a new leader this month, which Ramaphosa is tipped to win and Mabuza is not considered by the party as he is not the right man for that role.

Many of its leaders are tainted by allegations of corruption, so there is hardly any replacement for Ramaphosa as of now.

ANC cronies are looting and mismanaging nearly everything Africa's second-largest economy owns and operates. They have ensured that the watchdogs who are supposed to curb graft are rendered powerless and muzzled.

Many bosses of state-funded firms, intelligence chiefs and directors of government agencies-are facing allegations of fraud and other irregularities as contracts are awarded through connections and bribes.

Corruption is a well-oiled machinery in South Africa with many behind-the-scene professional enablers like accountants, auditors and advocates who make it legally possible. Corporate houses also get their due share of the blame, as happened with the nexus between Zuma and the Gupta brothers.

As the nation's internal agencies have proved ineffective at curbing corruption in the country, the South African government should join hands with the United Nations and the African Union to find ways to mitigate graft in the country.

The opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, is certainly capitalizing on the current corruption crisis, calling for snap polls.

The party can get a few tips from the IACC meeting as facilitating intelligence-sharing and game-changing partnerships are the focal points this year.

In any case, the ANC's fall is inevitable, which may auger well for the young democratic African nation.