Tenderpreneurs lead attack on Treasury

THE apparent threat to the institutional independence of National Treasury must be contextualised within the broader political changes that are taking place in our country. The case against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan is a fightback strategy by tenderpreneurs, who are under siege. The fact that the economically viable metropolitan municipalities of Nelson Mandela Bay, Tshwane and Johannesburg are under the political control of the opposition is creating anxiety for this politically aligned business class. Two important books written by Professor Roger Southall, Liberation Movements in Power and The New Black Middle Class in South Africa, detail precisely how this politically aligned business class mutates around political power. The National Treasury is the only remaining hope for the survival of tenderpreneurs as they will be investigated by the opposition ruling parties in the three metros. My proposal is firstly to rally civil society to protect the gains made by National Treasury to ensure that this politically aligned business class does not lead our country to hell. Secondly, a judicial commission of inquiry into government procurement since 1994 must be established to investigate the tenders that have been awarded to individuals or families connected to public servants and politicians across the board. This is meant to avoid any chance of civil war as a result of tenders in our beautiful country.