Only one solution to Zuma’s National Party tactics

Immediately after the ANC’s National Working Committee meeting last week, Gwede Mantashe told South Africans it was “unfortunate” that some leaders had used an intelligence report as a reason for Gordhan’s dismissal. Mantashe, who somersaulted on his earlier disagreement with Zuma’s decision to cleanse National Treasury, also said the intelligence report was “a complicated matter”.

Mantashe didn’t explain to South Africans what’s so complicated about the intelligence report. Strangely, before and after Zuma’s decision to dismiss the finance ministers, the ANC’s other Gupta-controlled mouthpiece, ANN7, extensively reported on the intelligence report.

Beki Cele, former National Police Commissioner, said, “The intelligence report that I saw, having worked with these structures [as national police commissioner], is amampunge. But it is always so. I have suffered in something that was called an intelligence report myself.”

This is dangerous politics at play with the potential to destroy people and the ANC itself. It’s a direct threat to our constitutional democracy that was attained through sacrifice. The former Nationalist Party used similar tactics and strategies against liberation movements.

If indeed Zuma used this dangerous tactic, the ANC membership and country is entitled to demand accountability from its leadership. Parliament must ensure that this issue is properly investigated and those behind the compilation of the intelligence report must be brought to book.

In countries such as Russia, India, China and elsewhere, proponents of constitutional democracy have been silenced through the use of unconstitutional, unconventional and draconian tactics. This is exactly what South Africans including ANC members will experience for a long time if the ANC isn’t fixed from the inside.

To understand how the Indian government used draconian tactics against its own citizens, I suggest that ANC members read a report titled, ‘Stifling Dissent, Criminalization of Peaceful Expression in India (16 May 2016)’[1]

Who commissioned the intelligence report?

On 6 April, News24 reported that ‘friends’ of the Guptas compiled the ‘Gordhan intelligence document’.[2] News24 reported that Zehir Omar, a lawyer for the Society for the Protection of our Constitution (SPOC), told News24 that the society – which has its own “intelligence unit” – received information from “Indian, Iranian and Russian intelligence agencies”.

According to this information, international financial institutions were planning to undermine President Jacob Zuma’s government while Gor- dhan and his deputy, Mcebisi Jonas, were on an international investor road show.

The ANC and the government didn’t deny or confirm the existence of the report[3].

It is on public record that the document claims the finance ministry was opposing the President and had “the support of many in the ANC and other parties to force the President out”.

In chess language ‘ checkmate’ means “a situation in chess in which a player loses the game because that player's king is in a position from which it cannot escape”. Gordhan, Jonas and others are real examples of “Operation Check Mate”.

Since when it is permissible for the ‘ Society for the Protection of our Constitution (SPOC)’ or any other organisation to conduct intelligence work on behalf of the state?

If Zuma and his loyalists strongly believed that Gordhan, Jonas and others were implicated in attempts to effect “regime change” or to “overthrow the state” or “committed treason” with support from “white monopoly capital”, why were they not immediately arrested when they landed at OR Tambo International Airport? In our country, we’ve laws called the ‘Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act (2004)’ and ‘Criminal Procedures Act (1977)’ [4]. Forget what Mantashe said about the broken relationship between Zuma and Gordhan. South Africans aren’t fools.

With Zuma safely cocooned from being recalled, it’s now up to Parliament to show South Africans and particularly aggrieved ANC members that Parliament will hold the executive accountable on the ‘intelligence report’.

The alleged undue influence of the Guptas[5] on the government and the ANC must also be subjected to thorough investigation.

The ANC-Gupta connection can’t expect South Africans to keep quiet when the Republic is broken down by people who masquerade as agents of change and revolutionaries.

The ANC has failed the nation. It’s now up to Parliament to exercise its constitutional obligations.

Zuma is going nowhere. Opposition parties, trade unions, civil society organisations must use Parliament, laws and courts to defend the Republic from being broken down.

For the sake of the country and our children, Parliament must rescue our country.

•Jonathan Walton who has worked for many years for the Black Sash writes this in their personal capacity.