Radically transformed mandates of middling ministers
Aweek ago, this newspaper published the clearest expression yet of why such dread exists for the future of ANC governance. The opinion piece was authored by ANC national executive committee member and Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa.
Molewa was exposed recently as yet another high-profile member of the ANC who has no control over her private life. But the article wasn’t about that, or, for that matter, rhino poaching. It was essentially a reply to a statement made by Richemont chairman Johann Rupert, in which he described the mythical “radical economic transformation” as code for “theft”.
Molewa continues a trend Communications Minister Faith Muthambi appeared to start when she composed a howling whopper on the subject of radical economic transformation that was published by the Daily Maverick. Then came another ideological fatberg, also in the Daily Maverick, this time from Police Minister Fikile Mbalula. Former finance minister Trevor Manuel responded, which I wish he hadn’t as it led to yet another exhausting ton of words from Mbalula. In 2016, South African Airways (SAA) chair Dudu Myeni wrote a letter to the DA’s David Maynier in which she posed as a working-class hero as she defended her incompetence. The letter was filled with wild excuses designed to distract attention from her mischievous agenda.
So when is it okay for ministers or officials to stick their noses into things outside the mandates they are paid so handsomely to occupy? Before we answer that question, let’s assess the individual merit of some of these officials.
Muthambi is the most useless minister to have featured in any postapartheid administration. For her complicity in the financial and human disasters of the SABC she was promoted, and now seems intent on bloating the public service wage bill.
In an ideal world, Mbalula would be a rural celebrity blogger and leave the rest of us alone, to say nothing of law enforcement. Just one of many examples: in a speech last week, he announced that he would “like to speak to a Ralph Hayes of Krugersdorp”. There’s no such person. But there was once a Ralph Haynes, a one-legged scallywag who disappeared in 2011, in all likelihood butchered by the company he kept. Mbalula wants to talk to someone whose remaining parts were probably eaten by crocodiles in Warmbaths nearly seven years ago.
A few more questions if you will: have you ever seen Keith Richard’s gym routine featured in Men’s Health? Did you ever hear about the time Stephen Hawking was invited to commentate on American football? No? There’s a reason JK Rowling gets savaged every time she tries to play social justice warrior about immigration on Twitter, and that same reason applies here: it’s never okay for ministers to stick their noses into things outside of their mandate, but it’s even worse when they stick them into things they do not understand, and cannot be trusted to advocate or enforce.
In the ANC’s case, the more piercing the radical economic transformation screech, the more compromised the individual — hence the reason their supporting arguments feature only identity politics.
Nobody doubts the need for the renewal of policies aimed at alleviating the conditions of those existing upon the fringes, or stripping the economy of its lecherous tenderpreneurs and corporate overlords. But everyone doubts the motivation because everyone sees who is doing the motivating.