STATE CAPTURE
TIM COHEN: How the Zondo commission is becoming a horror show for the ANC
Gwede Mantashe did nothing as colleagues threatened a leading bank because it refused to handle tarnished money
At the start of the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture there was inevitably an informal discussion among journalists on how much the exercise would actually reveal. Commissions have a terrible history in SA of not getting to the root of the issue, which is partly why they are so popular among politicians. Just think of the arms deal commission, which after four years came to the conclusion that it was unable to come to a conclusion. For politicians, commissions achieve two highly desirable goals. They appear to be "doing something" and responding to popular disquiet. They tend to be excruciatingly long-winded, which means that just by the power of the limited attention span of ordinary people they tend to grind even the most avid observers into a kind of somnambulistic submission. They are thus the political equivalent of kicking for touch; a safe way of averting danger in the short term. But given what the Zondo commission has already revealed, it’s turning out to be th...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.