2022 in review: Riders of the political storms
For many South Africans, 2022 was a blur of political controversy and drama – The Drive with Rob and Roz takes a look at the various political storms that we had to ride out this year.
Who was not Captured?
Following the release of the first report on the findings of the Commission into State Capture in January – with subsequent findings relapsed throughout the year – the focus shifted pretty quickly to accountability and consequences.
The commission chaired by now chief justice Raymond Zondo, found that the state was indeed captured by a criminal network that fleeced it for millions – and law-enforcement authorities were called to take it further.
However, the political aspect of the commission’s work continues to reverberate – the governing ANC and its cadre deployment policy were implicated in creating fertile ground for corruption, the country’s electoral system was flagged as problematic, and even the President did not escape the findings unscathed.
Electoral amendment bill
The issue of electoral reform dates back further than the Zondo report though – in 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that people who were not members of a political party could stand for elections at the national and provincial levels.
This year, the electoral Amendment Bill was accordingly passed by Parliament – but civil society is not happy with the bill, saying it is skewed towards bigger parties and puts individuals on the back foot.
In December, Parliament requested an extension from the Concourt to pass the final bill, following inputs from the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), which now needs to happen early in 2023.
Party funding
Party funding was another bone of contention this year with the IEC requiring political parties to disclose their private donors - strangely, not to everyone’s delight.
The ANC, which battled throughout the year to pay their staff, said the move made it hard for them to access funds – and their staff pension funds suffered for it.
Xenophobia and special permits
2020 saw a wave of xenophobic attacks and rhetoric making headlines - amid huge inequality, high unemployment rates, and widespread poverty, these sentiments found roots and resonated in township areas especially.
Groupings like Operation Dudula mobilized communities to drive out foreigners – with violence ensuing.
Counter movements were formed in a bit to bring balance – but amid allegations of medical xenophobia and discrimination, the tension never really dissipated.
Added to this, the government’s efforts to end the special Zimbabwean permits cause massive uncertainty.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi eventually extended the validity of the permits to 2023 – and insists that it will be the least extension of many.
READ: 2022 in Review: Hard news in a hard year
Revolving doors
Internationally, the UK saw a series of revolving doors at 10 Downing street with Rishi Sunak eventually becoming prime minister – but it echoed what was happening in South Africa.
With the AN heading to its 55th elective conference on 16 December, the likes of Lindiwe Sisulu tried to put their names in the hat for consideration, but to little avail.
The Russian invasion
The major international story for the year though was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and it influenced the year’s politics, finances, and geopolitical reality.
The war started in February and is still ongoing and while South Africa defied international pressure to condemn the invasion, it led to sanctions from world powers and general market and financial turmoil.
In November, it seemed as if the world was teetering on World War 3 when shelling hit a Polish village – Poland is a NATO member, and an attack there would lead to grounds for retaliation from any and all NATO member countries. It was determined that the missiles were part of Ukraine’s defense though and hit the village by accident, averting a crisis.
Choosing your corruption…
Back home, the ANC’s conference is heading towards what some commentators have said can be linked to choosing your preferred corruption – between the Phala Phala scandal and Digital Vibes, it’s going to be a closer call than anticipated….
The 2020 robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s private Phala Phala farm has really been the main talking point heading into the conference - following the release of a parliamentary panel’s report on the matter, it was found that the President might have a case to answer in the incident.
The panel found that at least $560 0000 were stolen from a coach on this farm and that he may have breached the executive ethics doe and anti-corruption legislation in the handling of the matter – highly problematic not just for obvious reasons, but because Ramaphosa’s tenure as head of the ANC has been based largely on rooting out corruption int eh wake of State Capture.
The President came close to resigning over the scandal but in the end, opted to stay on and fight for this job.
He will be coming up against former Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize for the ANC’s top position – and Mkize himself is also not squeaky clean.
The Digital Vibes saga saw Mkhize step down as Minister of health after steering the country through the Covid pandemic – it involved a dodgy communications tender that Mkhize and his family allegedly benefitted from.
Parliament had, however, cleared Mkhize of wrongdoing – very much not the case with Ramaphosa.
Walus walks
While all of this is happening, Janusz Walus, the man who killed Chris Hani in 1993, has been released on parole.
After begin stabbed in jail on the eve of his arrest, and despite an uproar by Hani’s widow, the SACP and prominent leader in the ANC, Walusz will serve two years parole in South Africa before he is, essentially, a free man and can return to Poland.
Judicial developments
In one of the few positive developments in the year though, the country saw the appointment of its first female deputy chief justice in Mandisa Maya.
Justice Raymond Zondo was appointed as chief justice after a controversial process where the Judicial Service Committee (JSC)’s interviews were marred by political squabbling and dirty tactics, but Maya’s subsequent appointment to be his right-hand woman has given much hope that the country may still gather momentum in recognizing the role of women in structures of power.
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