Corruption will increase as ANC gets closer to losing power, warns Moeletsi Mbeki

“The closer the ANC gets to losing power, the more corruption we are going to see.” 

This is the view of Moeletsi Mbeki, political analyst and brother of former president Thabo Mbeki, who was discussing the challenges facing SA.

Speaking on SABC News, Mbeki said the country would suffer “more pain” from corruption in the next 15 months because ANC members will fill their pockets thinking that after the 2024 election the party will no longer be in power.

“Corruption is in government by the public officials. That is where the heart of corruption in this country is. The irony and the painful part about it is the closer the ANC gets to losing power, the more corruption we are going to see,” said Mbeki. 

He said SA was not better off under the presidency of Cyril Ramaphosa.

“For the last 10 years, the per capita income of South Africans has been declining, which means we have been getting poorer and we are still getting poorer today. So we are not better off.

“The control over corruption has not happened, the recommendations of the Zondo commission have hardly been implemented. But the other side is the lack of efficiency by the government.”

Last week the ANC came under fire after former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter said he believed the power utility was a “feeding trough” for the ruling party. 

In an interview on eNCA, De Ruyter said: “I expressed my concern to a senior government minister about attempts, in my view, to water down governance about the $8.5bn that, by and large to Eskom’s intervention, we got at COP26, and the response was essentially that you must be pragmatic. To pursue the greater good, you have to enable some people to eat a little bit. So yes, I think it’s entrenched.” 

De Ruyter faced criticism from the ANC after his explosive interview.

The party threatened legal action against him over the allegations, challenging De Ruyter to back his claims by laying criminal charges within the next seven days against those he believes to be behaving unlawfully.

“The ANC is firmly committed, through promoting and supporting policy, legislation and action, to deal with any acts of corruption — or other forms criminality — and to hold any perpetrators to account. Corruption and criminality are implacable enemies of development and our commitment to build a better life for all,” said party spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri.

“We reiterate our call to Mr De Ruyter to lay criminal charges, with verifiable details about his serious allegations, to allow law enforcement agencies to investigate and, where appropriate, to prosecute those who have a case to answer.”

TimesLIVE readers have shared their thoughts on corruption in the country, with 44% saying the scourge has got worse under Ramaphosa’s leadership and “become a way of life”.

Eighty-four percent of readers said the ANC would never shake off its “corruption” tag, adding that “a cheetah can’t change its spots.”

TimesLIVE