US sanctions on Guptas must be embraced

THE origin of most politics is deceit.

The news about the US sanctions on the Gupta family and their sidekick Salim Essa is ironic. While the Guptas and the corrupt must suffer, the belief that the US cares about corruption is laughable.

What is happening is obvious. President Cyril Ramaphosa is moving South Africa towards the Western sphere of influence and far away from former president Jacob Zuma’s trajectory of China and Russia.

This was obvious when Goldman Sachs, the most powerful global investment bank, visited Ramaphosa. Tito Mboweni has been groomed by Goldman Sachs since 2010 to became finance minister.

Now the games begin afresh as Zuma is back in court and his corrupt history, including the Arms Deal, is revised. The Gupta family will be anxious in Dubai (a key US ally) and in India, which needs US help in a volatile region encircled by tensions in Kashmir, Afghanistan, Pakistan and China.

Zuma gave the BRICS bank R50billion without consulting any of us. He promised Russia a nuclear deal that was blocked and Zuma promised a fired finance minister a job at the BRICS bank that was an untruth. Ironically, R50bn is the amount the government needs to balance our books.

The winner is Ramaphosa as Zuma’s backers will soon witness a global backlash. We will all witness the subtle might of Ramaphosa as the many commissions grind Zuma’s closest cronies.

While we could pontificate about the hypocrisy of the US regarding the Gupta family and issues of corruption, there is no value in that. We must focus on what is best for South Africa. If that requires working around the American deceit, then that is what must be done. Whatever reduces local taxes, the cost of living, electricity, water, rates and petrol, and creates jobs must be the focus.

Sadly, if the US can help get back our stolen tax money, then we must be grateful. Beggars cannot be choosers. CLLR YAGYAH ADAMS | Cape Muslim Congress