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DISCUSSIONS WITH DANGOR
Muslim Views . May 2017
Discourses on the state of the nation Some argue that the focus should not be on Jacob Zuma alone but also on all those who are involved in corruption, writes EMERITUS PROFESSOR SULEMAN DANGOR.
CORRUPTION in government, the current spat within the ANC, Gupta influence, foreign interference and sacking of Pravin Gordhan as finance minister are being vigorously debated across the length and breadth of the country. Muslims have also weighed in on the debate. Discussions at social events are dominated by the ‘state of the nation’. In this article, I will attempt to capture some of the deliberations in the social media, specifically on the WhatsApp groups that I am privy to. The vast majority condemns the president primarily for his corruption including, of course, his (perceived) corrupt relationship with the Guptas, accused of state capture. The allegation that the Guptas have attempted to influence the appointment of cabinet ministers is proof that Zuma is no longer in charge of the country.
Muslim Views
Some argue that the focus should not be on Jacob Zuma alone but also on all those who are involved in corruption. They are willing participants in milking the coffers of the state and are equally liable. They will be in the forefront to defend him to the core because they have the most to lose if he were to step down or be recalled. A few defend the president, arguing that the call for Zuma to step down is a foreign plot hatched in London to unseat the ANC. The speculation that the DA is in cahoots with Britain and the European Union to strengthen its planned government takeover after the 2019 or 2024 general elections has their support. Some of the president’s defendants accept the argument that calls for his removal are part of a global conspiracy to destabilise the Brics countries and that ratings agencies are involved because Brics has set up its own development bank and is challenging the global financial hegemony of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The Guptas, according to some, are all fall guys. The ‘white’ monopoly capitalists, as repre-
sented by the Oppenheimers, Ruperts and Rothschild families are in the background and continue to control the country’s economy and to influence economic policy. South African banks are said to be under their control. Others believe that the Zionists are involved in a regime change plot because the ANC supports the Palestinian cause, is critical of Israel’s actions and supports campaigns against South Africanbased companies operating in occupied territories. Opposition party leaders are viewed with great suspicion because of their recent visit to Israel. My reading is that the majority support Pravin Gordhan has is because of his efficient handling of the Receiver of Revenue department, standing up to the president and the Guptas, and not being tainted by corruption. A minority believes the claim that the Russians were behind his axing because of his refusal to sanction the nuclear deal. The contending view is that Pravin Gordhan is part of the unjust capitalist system and so, in a sense, is supporting the status quo. The need of the hour is radical socio-economic transformation. The president’s statements promoting socio-economic transformation reflect – in their view – his commitment to uplift the downtrodden. Even among those who are highly critical of him, there is a view that they would rather have
Even among those who are highly critical of him, there is a view that they would rather have him than someone who might turn out worse than him – ‘better the devil you know than the one you don’t know’. So they would prefer that he stays on as president until the end of his term of office him than someone who might turn out worse than him – ‘better the devil you know than the one you don’t know’. So they would prefer that he stays on as president until the end of his term of office. The spat within the ANC gives some hope that at last some bigwigs are beginning to realise that Jacob Zuma has become a liability to the party as well as to the country. Even die-hard ANC supporters can no longer defend corruption, nepotism, avarice, inefficiency and intimidation that have become synonymous with the president and his cabal. However, ANC critics are disillusioned with ANC members who are willing to publicly criticise him but defend him when it comes to a no confidence vote in parliament. They are fully aware that if the court does not rule in favour of a secret ballot, the ANC members will be too intimidated to vote against him publicly. Some Muslims who voted for the ANC in past elections no longer support the organisation for some or all of the reasons mentioned above. A number of them have decided to abstain while others have joined opposi-
tion groups, primarily the DA. Those who did so are vilified by ANC supporters as ‘sell outs’. The ANC support for Palestine is brought up repeatedly as an argument in favour of voting for the ANC and not the DA, which is accused of supporting Israel. However, some have pointed out that while the ANC supports the Palestinians, our government continues to maintain strong diplomatic and economic ties with Israel. There is little support for Skosozana Dlamini-Zuma because there seems to be consensus that as the president’s ex-wife she will protect him. Furthermore, she made a right royal mess in Africa as head of the African Union, so much so that many analysts have hailed her departure as a blessing in disguise. As we can see from the above, conspiracy theories abound. However, we can note two distinct positions: the president must go because he is not only corrupt but also not in control of the country. The president must stay because there is a national/ global conspiracy to remove him from office, even if he is not above board.