ANC has a lot to prove this year
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa’s tough talk in his January 8 statement – especially his promise to bust corruption and for the party to earnestly begin tackling the rot brought about by state capture – should be welcomed.
However, we all know that talk is cheap and that it is in the doing that voters will be able to judge this new spirit of renewal preached from Ramaphosa’s pulpit.
Despite the Herculean task of changing the perception that the ANC has become a broad-based church for the corrupt, Ramaphosa has been gifted the power to appoint a new head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) by the courts.
After a ruling last month that the appointment of NPA head Shaun Abrahams was illegal – meaning he must vacate the post – the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria stated that Ramaphosa should be the one to appoint the new head as President Jacob Zuma is in a conflicted position as he may face prosecution by the same unit.
The Zuma administration has been responsible for the paralysis that has hit the NPA and other state security agencies.
Instead of tackling crime, our security forces have been mired in personality fights and internal politics that has given rise to unprecedented levels of corruption and graft in both the public and private sectors.
In his speech at the weekend, the new ANC president not only tackled the problem of state capture head on when he said that “the investigation and prosecution of those who are responsible will be given top priority”, he also pointed to the importance of having competent law enforcement agencies to combat various crimes.
“Mechanisms for the appointment of individuals to senior government positions, stateowned entities and law enforcement agencies will be strengthened to improve transparency, prevent undue influence and ensure adequate vetting of candidates,” he said.
With the ANC’s reputation at an all-time low, Ramaphosa must act fast to restore confidence that new policing structures will prosecute anyone without fear or favour.
In celebrating the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela this year, the ANC’s actions will be judged.