Opinion / Columnist
'I remained with Zuma to end state capture' says Ramaphosa vs Mnangagwa colluded with Mugabe to loot
11 Aug 2021 at 20:40hrs | Views
History will show just how close the late Nelson Mandela's "Rainbow democratic South Africa" came to collapse and become just another African Banana Republic like Zimbabwe during former President Jacob Zuma's time in office. The shocking truth of what happened during Zuma's time in office is coming out!
"Many of the incidents of corruption that would in time be described as 'state capture' became known to me as they did to the general public through the work of journalists, civil society organisations, and institutions such as the Public Protector and Auditor General," reads President Cyril Ramaphosa's statement to State Capture Commission, the body tasked to investigate corruption during President Zuma's time in office.
"Reports of court cases and disciplinary proceedings, together with the commendable work of investigative journalists and whistle-blowers, gave insight into corruption in both government and the private sector."
South Africa's icon leader, President Nelson Mandela's greatest legacy to the nation was the gift of democracy, healthy and functioning democratic institutions like media, judiciary, without which the corruption in South Africa would have been swept under the carpet. The critical importance of such democratic institution in stamping out corruption is best appreciated if one was to compare with what happened in Zimbabwe.
There are so few "investigative journalists" in Zimbabwe they, for all practical purposes, an endangered species! The odd ball like Geoffrey Nyarota with his Willowgate scandal, was left in no doubt of just how much the country's ruling elite disapproved of his work. And it was not just Robert Mugabe and one or two others in the Zanu-PF ruling elite who disapproved the notion of a robust and independent media, judiciary, etc. the whole Zanu-PF ruling elite disapproved.
"As it became increasingly clearer – through the so-called Gupta Leaks and other revelations – that a network of individuals was seemingly colluding with senior government officials to occupy key positions and 'capture' key institutions, the question that arose was how to respond," continued President Ramaphosa's statement.
"The first option available to me was to resign from the Executive. While I would have earned praise from many quarters, this action would have significantly impaired my ability to contribute to bring about an end to state capture.
"This was a question that not only I had to grapple with, but also other members of the Executive who were deeply concerned about these developments. I had five options: resign, speak out, acquiesce and abet, remain and keep silent, or remain and resist."
Since the 2017 military coup that toppled Zimbabwe's dictator Robert Gabriel Mugabe; his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has tried to distance himself from Mugabe's corrupt and tyrannical rule. He has been selling his administration as clean and democratic, "new dispensation and Second Republic". All nonsense, Mnangagwa had not only colluded with Mugabe for 37 years but had been the dictator's henchman who carried out all the dirty work of rigging elections, looting and murder of the regime opponents.
"Many of the incidents of corruption that would in time be described as 'state capture' became known to me as they did to the general public through the work of journalists, civil society organisations, and institutions such as the Public Protector and Auditor General," reads President Cyril Ramaphosa's statement to State Capture Commission, the body tasked to investigate corruption during President Zuma's time in office.
"Reports of court cases and disciplinary proceedings, together with the commendable work of investigative journalists and whistle-blowers, gave insight into corruption in both government and the private sector."
South Africa's icon leader, President Nelson Mandela's greatest legacy to the nation was the gift of democracy, healthy and functioning democratic institutions like media, judiciary, without which the corruption in South Africa would have been swept under the carpet. The critical importance of such democratic institution in stamping out corruption is best appreciated if one was to compare with what happened in Zimbabwe.
There are so few "investigative journalists" in Zimbabwe they, for all practical purposes, an endangered species! The odd ball like Geoffrey Nyarota with his Willowgate scandal, was left in no doubt of just how much the country's ruling elite disapproved of his work. And it was not just Robert Mugabe and one or two others in the Zanu-PF ruling elite who disapproved the notion of a robust and independent media, judiciary, etc. the whole Zanu-PF ruling elite disapproved.
"As it became increasingly clearer – through the so-called Gupta Leaks and other revelations – that a network of individuals was seemingly colluding with senior government officials to occupy key positions and 'capture' key institutions, the question that arose was how to respond," continued President Ramaphosa's statement.
"The first option available to me was to resign from the Executive. While I would have earned praise from many quarters, this action would have significantly impaired my ability to contribute to bring about an end to state capture.
"This was a question that not only I had to grapple with, but also other members of the Executive who were deeply concerned about these developments. I had five options: resign, speak out, acquiesce and abet, remain and keep silent, or remain and resist."
Since the 2017 military coup that toppled Zimbabwe's dictator Robert Gabriel Mugabe; his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has tried to distance himself from Mugabe's corrupt and tyrannical rule. He has been selling his administration as clean and democratic, "new dispensation and Second Republic". All nonsense, Mnangagwa had not only colluded with Mugabe for 37 years but had been the dictator's henchman who carried out all the dirty work of rigging elections, looting and murder of the regime opponents.
Source - zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
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