NPF: A battle lost and won
They say we should not be angry. They say we should remain calm. They say we should adhere to the normative principle of Botho. They say we should trust them.
They say they have our best interests at heart. But come think of it; a Rolls Royce Phantom worth approximately P3 million, a Maserati worth approximately P2 million and two Rolex watches worth a quarter of a million, just to mention but a few, in a country where people sprawl on the floor at Princess Marina Hospital. A lap of insane luxury in a country where the poor die because there is no ambulance or painkiller to the rescue. A country where we are at the mercy of criminals, because the police have no vehicle to respond. Recently, Justice Motumise passed a judgement in the National Petroleum Fund ( NPF) matter, declaring a total of 26 properties belonging to Bakang Seretse as “proceeds of crime”. Without being pessimistic, the question is, would it help? As far as I am concerned, if there is one case that demonstrated beyond doubt an intersection between organised crime, security structures, justice system, and politicians it is the NPF matter. I mean the list of the players, sums up my point. The point is, the ultra- expensive vehicles and lavish lifestyle for Bakang Seretse may be gone, but has the enabling environment changed? Has impunity gone? Has ultra- greed gone? I guess we all know the answer. Sooner or later, another Bakang Seretse would emerge.
The greed- is- good syndrome has become so entrenched in our political ecology that we are prepared to move mountains, if need be, to defend it. At around 19: 00hrs on August 31, 2017, the wealthy suburb of Sandton witnessed a cold- blooded murder. A blue Mercedes- Benz was peppered with bullets and in the driver’s seat lay the lifeless body of businessman, Vusi Mhlanzi, partner of Bakang Seretse at Basis Points.
Accordingly, the scene had all the hallmarks of a hit. Perhaps in Mhlanzi, the NPF thuggery claimed its first casualty. Perhaps in Mhlanzi, the murderers wanted to send the message loud and clear. Perhaps in Mhlanzi, the killers wanted to demonstrate will, power and impunity.
The NPF saga has shown us that these criminal fraternities are real, and the hit- men are committed to earn their places in the pantheon of notorious gangland, sending shivers down the spines of anyone who crossed their territory. According to South African media reports, a month before Mhlanzi was gunned down he was alerted to a suspect bank account that had been opened in his company’s name.
The suspect account was allegedly used to launder the NPF loot. As the curious case of Bakang Seretse and company gets even more intriguing by the passing of every minute and every second, Batswana must live with the reality that their country has become a paradise of political thugs and buccaneers masquerading as leaders. It is another living testimony of the aggressive pursuit for innumerable material possessions by those we have entrusted with public funds. It is another living testimony that they will stop at nothing in their pursuit of looting. They would even rob the blind.
The sooner we come to terms with this reality, the comforting it would be to the many of us who toil in the scorching sun ‘ hustling’ to make it through the end of the day. It is a reality that we cannot bury our heads in the sand and wish it away.
We are faced with a new cutthroat political reality that if we Batswana do not stand up and confront it with everything in our ability, soon the only thing left in our hands will be nothing but Omang cards. Unfortunately, the NPF case is too much a familiar case.
The story line is the same; stealing of public funds. The cast is the same; DIS, politicians and businesspersons. According to the letter earlier released by Bakang Seretse, he claimed to be just a rabbit that went hunting with the hounds.
Seretse pointed his finger at Isaac Kgosi as being the ‘ mastermind’ behind the P250 million saga. He claimed in the whole scheme of things, he was just a victim of ‘ utmost patriotism’. That is, when his country needed him most to carry out a ‘ covert operation’ he readily availed himself without second thoughts. In the same letter, Seretse claims that because of the “secret” nature of the “operation,” information on Khulaco transactions was shared with ‘ powers that be’ on “need- to- know basis”.
Since inception of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime ( DCEC), we are yet to point out just one case where corruption by the so- called ‘ big- fish’ has been punitively punished.
All we see is extravagant court appearances designed for the equally gullible media and then it all disappears into thin air. The anti- corruption narrative in this country is nothing more than just an electioneering rhetoric. It is a political card played to deceive and cheat the naïve and vulnerable electorate. As far as the powers that be are concerned, we are so naïve that we are no better than donkeys!