Zuma and his clique are traitors

It is not unexpected but, nevertheless, the statement by Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to the Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s Commission of Inquiry into State Capture is still shocking. In his statement – which was leaked to the media this week, but the veracity of which has not been denied – Gordhan said that in the period between 2009 and 2017, he was “an unwitting member of an executive which was misled, lied to, manipulated and abused”.

Gordhan does not say so in so many words, but the lies to the executive could only have come from former president Jacob Zuma and the cabal around him.

Gordhan claimed the lies were in order to benefit a few families, release the worst forms of recklessness and corruption, rob ordinary people of clinics and education and to “abuse and decimate key institutions of our democracy; including Sars, the Hawks, NPA, SOEs like Eskom, Denel, Transnet”.

As the commission of inquiry continues its work, the magnitude of the organised criminal conspiracy which is now known as state capture still manages to take even the most cynical South Africans by surprise.

There were so many tentacles of corruption burrowing deep into state organisations – aided and abetted by willing fellow travellers from the private sector – that it is difficult to imagine any sector touched by government where it was not present.

But, it is Gordhan’s comments – obviously with hindsight – about people being robbed of basics like clinics and education – which should give people pause for thought.

Attacks on the people are attacks on the very fabric of society – and on the state itself.

This is more than mere theft. It is tantamount to treason or, at the very least, economic and financial terrorism against the state.

Zuma and his clique are traitors.