What was the chief looter’s deputy doing?

President Cyril Ramaphosa at the weekend blamed the decade-long tenure of former President Jacob Zuma for the country’s current economic and other woes. Most would take little convincing. There is plenty of empirical evidence of the downward trajectory this country took from the day the African National Congress made Jacob Zuma president of both the party and later the country.

He took a country with a relatively stable economy in 2009 to one whose credit rating was downgraded to junk status.

A relatively strong rand joined the rest of the economy on its downward spiral as Zuma set about shaking international and investor confidence by policy uncertainty and his willynilly appointment to cabinet of yes-men and women with dubious or no track records.

They joined him in creating a political and economic environment where corrosive corruption and state capture became the order of the day.

The point is that Zuma did not act alone. His actions were facilitated by his party and those around him who either did little to stop it or joined him. This is the money Ramaphosa says they want back for service delivery and job creation.

But Ramaphosa needs to explain what he was doing as the chief looters’ deputy for the last four years of Zuma’s presidency. Did he operate in blissful or willful ignorance? Were his hands tied, and why?

But, Ramaphosa is not alone in deflecting blame from himself. The party often attacks, blames and lays waste to those in its own ranks who hold lesser position of power as though they are some entity separate from the ANC.

Provincial ANC leaders will tut-tut over inefficient, corrupt municipalities where service delivery has ground to a halt. National government does the same with those in provinces such as the Eastern Cape. But, nothing, apart from finger-pointing – ever happens. No heads roll.

At any one time we have dozens of commissions of inquiry peering into hot potato issues from arms deals and tax administration to state capture generally. The findings, which are usually obvious, are read and shelved.

If, over a whole decade, the ANC allowed Zuma to get away with it, then it is not just Zuma who is culpable. It is the party itself.

If, over a decade, the ANC allowed Zuma to get away with it, it is not just Zuma who is culpable. It’s the party itself