Not a suicide bomb, nor a nuclear bomb. Just some dynamite to demolish state capture

Edward Zuma, that great font of political wisdom and the embodiment of moral rectitude, says it was “never my intention to offend anyone by expressing my view on the current political landscape”.

President Jacob Zuma’s son thinks his open letter calling Derek Hanekom “a vile dog” and a “white Afrikaner askari” and Pravin Gordhan a “minority anti-majoritarian sellout” and “one of the most corrupt cadres of the ANC” constituted inoffensive political engagement.

Hanekom and Gordhan were the targets because they dared to speak frankly about the problems in the ANC and declared that their vote in the motion of no confidence against the president this week would be dictated by their consciences.

When censured, Zuma jnr wrote to his party “to plead for forgiveness” — from the ANC that is, not those he insulted.

With people like Edward Zuma and Gupta fanatic Andile Mngxitama constantly barging into the discourse with their lopsided logic and uncouth rants, it feels as if we are caught in a universe overrun by lunatics. South Africa seems to be in a race with Donald Trump’s America to hit rock bottom first.

With an inept and compromised person like Mosebenzi Zwane in the cabinet and attempting to run the mining sector like a toddler trying to drive a petrol tanker, and the boss of the South African Revenue Service, Tom Moyane, saying that his cavorting with the Guptas in Dubai is none of our business, it seems as if we are winning that race.

The Trump troupe is at least being subjected to a grand jury investigation, while here we are suddenly confronted with a bizarre call for a media truth and reconciliation commission from ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu.

While the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture remains on ice pending Zuma’s review application to overturn former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s report, Mthembu believes it is necessary for journalists to apologise for what our dead or ageing colleagues did during the apartheid era.

This is Mthembu’s attempt to distract attention from the steaming mound of nuclear waste overwhelming the Union Buildings and Luthuli House, courtesy of Jacob Zuma and the Guptas.

On Friday Mthembu tried to run more interference against the rebellion within the ANC’s ranks by claiming that Zuma’s removal from office would have “disastrous consequences that can only have a negative impact on the people of South Africa”.

What could be worse than the president surrendering the state to his benefactors, prompting multiple credit rating downgrades and a recession, making a mockery of accountability mechanisms and driving state institutions into the ground?

Mthembu said voting in favour of the motion of no confidence would be like “throwing a nuclear bomb at the country”.

It appears that Fikile Mbalula’s “suicide bomber” analogy failed to quell the fightback in the ANC caucus, so Mthembu had to raise the threat level.

While the motley Praetorian Guard is trying all means possible to keep the Zuma-Gupta empire intact, from attacking journalists to bullying and threatening ANC leaders rebelling against the rot, it is clear that the façade is about to shatter. This is a defining moment in the life of our country. Whatever happens with the motion of no confidence, the ANC will be unable to turn back the tide. It allowed Zuma and his corrupt coterie to get away with too much, the plunder of the state was too blatant, and the erosion of trust in the head of state is too far gone.

Civil society, the media fraternity, opposition parties, religious groups, academics, parts of the business sector, the elders and courageous people within the ANC have all stood up against the capture network.

There are of course more institutions that are vulnerable to capture, as former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas warned at the Daily Maverick’s The Gathering on Thursday. Our electoral system can be corrupted and the R2-trillion Public Investment Corporation can be drained, resulting in pension funds being reduced.

There is a “Gupta lookalike” in every local municipality, Jonas said, referring to how the culture of looting has penetrated and reproduced corrupt networks in the state system.

South Africans can no longer claim ignorance about what is going on and we cannot afford to be apathetic.

Each of the Gupta e-mails that have been exposed in the media shows how our sovereignty was compromised.

Every passing day that the law-enforcement agencies refuse to act against the criminality sees another rent in the fabric of our constitution.

And each nonsensical defence of Zuma and the Guptas throws another flaming match at our flag.

Atul Gupta told the BBC in a radio interview that he is “proudly South African” and claimed not to know why the family name “is being dragged in these things”.

The Gupta gang have taken a lot from us — Gordhan pegged the amount at R100-billion — and continue to try to deceive us.

The time has come to take our country back. And those who sold it to them need to pay the price for doing so.