JANA MARAIS: SA state visit to India highlights the opportunity cost of corruption
Among the many casualties of state capture are trade and investment relations between SA and India
At the same time that Angelo Agrizzi details the cost of bribes allegedly paid by his previous employer Bosasa in his testimony at the Zondo commission, the lost opportunities involved in the state capture project are being lamented 8,000km to the east in New Delhi. With President Cyril Ramaphosa due to arrive on Friday on his first state visit to India, an entourage of ministers and business people in tow, much is being made of the “warm” and “historic” relationship between the two countries. He will be “chief guest” at India’s Republic Day celebrations on Saturday — marking its 70th year of independence from British colonial rule. Ramaphosa becomes the first South African president since Nelson Mandela in 1995 to be bestowed with the honour. The invitation to Ramaphosa is partly inspired by the fact that 2019 also marks the 150th birth year of Mahatma Gandhi, who lived in SA for many years, leading peaceful protests to win more rights for people of Indian origin, before returning ...
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