Reason for returning bill to parliament obvious

WHEN I hear that the president is “applying his mind” to some or other report or proposed legislation, I get very nervous. Apart from the obvious knee-jerk reaction I experience that this is another delaying tactic on his part, I ask myself, “What does the giggling one actually do when applying his mind?”

If by this he means that he has passed it on to his team of lawyers, whose track record in advice-giving is about on the same performance level as the Springbok rugby team, where losses far outweigh any wins, then we really are in trouble. I think that they would tell him that the constitution is unconstitutional if they could keep their personal gravy train running for some time to come.

If he applies his mind to it personally, then I can understand why it takes so long. For a man who is challenged in reading Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men, a legalised document with words of more than three syllables is a challenge indeed.

So we have the Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment (Fica) Bill being returned to parliament as he has considered some of it unconstitutional. To protect his influential friends as well as a number of highly ranked government officials from some possible hard looks by the banking sector, he impedes the passing of the amended bill.

How did Zuma get himself so enmeshed in this web of corruption and patronage? I believe that the Guptas targeted Zuma a long time before he became president.

I believe they saw him as a possible influential figure who in his dealings with Schabir Shaik was demonstrably corruptible. I believe they did not approach him directly, but used his son and daughter to ingratiate themselves into his circle by placing them in well paid jobs and thus the trap was set.

I can imagine their delight when Zuma was made president. It was like striking the mother lode, but all good things come to an end and the end is in sight.

A few good men and one particularly brave woman have stood up against the state capture. The banks have seen Oakbay Investments for what it is.

The Fica Bill would close a major loophole in the money laundering that they appear to be involved in, so it is no wonder that the bill has been delayed even if this amendment would have aligned our country with world best practices in the financial control area. The sooner the Guptas’ bluff is called and they leave our country the better.