Ramaphosa silent on holding political elite accountable

IN HIS recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) on February 12, President Cyril Ramaphosa assured the nation that the government is determined to root out corruption and criminal activities within municipalities.

- PROF BHEKI MNGOMEZULU

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa at the conclusion of the SONA 2026 debate held at the Nieuwmeester Dome, Cape Town on September 18.

(GCIS)

After reporting that 56 municipalities did not meet their set requirements, Ramaphosa promised that municipal managers who were found to have transgressed will be formally charged.

Many South Africans felt that this was refreshing and revived hope that the government was serious about rooting out corruption and addressing mismanagement in the country.

Some even applauded Ramaphosa’s administration for the planned cleaning-up process. Others attributed the credit to the multiparty coalition, arguing that under Ramaphosa, the ANC had failed to address corruption and mismanagement.

There is credence in both viewpoints. Unfortunately, they both miss the bigger picture in the same way that the president missed it. The first question that arises is: Do officials act alone, or do they act in cahoots with the political elite?

If the latter is the case, what difference would it make to focus on officials and leave the political elite out of scrutiny? In other words, would such a decision not amount to addressing the symptoms of an ailment while leaving the disease untouched?

These questions implore us to reflect on what has been revealed in the ongoing Madlanga Commission thus far. While it is true that the commission has not yet concluded its work, it is an indisputable fact that some of its revelations point to a deep-rooted problem which involves many actors.

The reality is that officials are not a homogeneous group. Some of them were appointed to their positions under dubious circumstances.