Enemy of the people: How Jacob Zuma stole South Africa and how the people fought back

Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive! Enemy of the People by Adriaan Basson and Pieter du Toit lays bare the profound crisis, now reaching its end-game, that is crippling the South African state.The heroes of the resistance movement that resulted in black majority rule – men like Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, and Walter Sisulu – believed in government of the people, by the people, for the people. Under Zuma’s watch democracy has given way to kleptocracy. It’s a disease that has come to be known in South Africa as “state capture” i.e. the subversion of legitimate functions of the state by a criminal network of politicians, civil servants, aided and abetted by crooked businessmen, bankers, consultants, gangsters and the like.At the centre of the criminal network the authors describe is Zuma himself, now well into the second term of his presidency. (However, it seems likely that the skids are under Zuma now, since his political rival and former Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, recently became ANC President.) Mired in scandal and potentially facing criminal prosecution, Zuma has a long history of receiving cash and gifts from dodgy businessmen eager to profit from lucrative government contracts.From the get go Zuma has consistently been a ‘kept’ president. Foremost among the corrupt businessmen dealing with president are the Gupta brothers who, in addition to sponsoring Zuma, directly employ several Zuma family members. There is mounting evidence that they have wielded enormous influence over government decision-making processes. Through illegally manipulating the supply chain for government contracts they have benefited to the tune of billions of rand.State capture is insidious and systemic and unless checked it will invade the organs of government until the whole body politic is infected. At this point only major surgery will remove it and unfortunately this is where the Republic of South Africa is at now.The authors cite numerous instances of alleged corruption involving the highest officials in many government departments, agencies and state-owned enterprises. Invariably crooked businessmen or criminals are complicit on the ‘outside’ and bent officials on the inside. Among the institutions deeply compromised are: the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Eskom (state-owned electricity company), Transnet (rail freight) and Prasa (passenger rail service authority), South African Airways (SAA), the South African Police Service (SAPS), various parts of the criminal justice system including the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks. With Zuma’s sacking of finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, and his replacement by a stooge, the Treasury itself was on the threshold of state capture by the Zuptas.However, not all is doom and gloom: the authors devote a chapter to the forces of resistance and the rising tide of public opinion against rule by the Zuptas. Hopefully, the situation will prove to be recoverable. Since the book was published, Cyril Ramaphosa was elected as ANC President on an anti-corruption ticket with a mandate to pursue a vigorous clean-up operation. One can expect change to happen quickly once the Zuptas are removed from the scene.Enemy of the People is well-researched and it's a good read. The authors and publisher have done South Africa a service by getting it on to booksellers’ shelves at this point in time. Five stars.

Essential Reading if you hope to understand the dynamics at ply in SA today

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