Ruling ANC being pulled apart by anti-corruption drive

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s anti-corruption drive is facing stiff resistance from political foes within his own party, but the African National Congress (ANC) leader is adamant in fulfilling his pledge to root out corruption.

Ramaphosa is facing stiff resistance from his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, who is openly defying a ruling from the country’s highest court to testify at an inquiry into state graft.

In addition to that, the South African president is receiving resistance on two fronts, as former President Zuma refuses to appear at the long-running judicial inquiry despite a Constitutional Court ruling to that effect while his the ruling ANC’s Secretary General Ace Magashule is refusing to step down from his powerful position, pending his corruption trial.

SECRETARY GENERAL’S CASE GOES TO TRIAL IN AUGUST

This in defiance of Ramaphosa and ANC policy that officials facing corruption charges should step aside until their criminal cases are finalised. The ANC secretary general appeared in court yesterday at which time it was agreed that his case will go to trial in August.

Magashule is one of 11 people, many of the others local government officials, charged with fraud and corruption relating to a $17-million government contract when he was the premier of South Africa’s Free State Province, a position he held from 2009-18. Both Zuma and Magashule have challenged Ramaphosa since he replaced Zuma as ANC leader in 2017 and became South Africa’s president in 2018.

Deep divisions running through ANC

Since then there has been deep divisions in the South African governing party, which have escalated in recent time. Ramaphosa’s rise to power came on a pledge to root out corruption in Africa’s most developed economy, which was in recession even before the disastrous effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, Ramaphosa has found it difficult to take effective action against widespread graft, which has also infiltrated the country’s attempts to fight COVID-19. A report released earlier this month by South Africa’s Special Investigative Unit uncovered that more than $800 million might have been lost to improper or corrupt government contracts for protective equipment for health workers and others.

This revelation comes as South Africa grappled with surging cases in the first few months of the pandemic. That scandal further angered South Africans, who have been inundated with allegations of high-level corruption during the state corruption commission, which is probing Zuma’s time as president from 2009-18.

In addition to refusing to testify, Zuma is alleging that commission chairman, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, the second most senior judge in the country, is biased and should not oversee the inquiry. Zuma could be found guilty of contempt and jailed for his refusal to testify.

He also faces corruption charges related to allegations that he received bribes when the county purchased weapons in 1999. Zuma is to appear in court on those charges next week.

Situation being inflamed by Zuma

Zuma further inflamed the situation when, earlier this week, he accused the South African president of bribing his way to the ANC presidency in 2017. In an attempt to find a resolution to this situation Police Minister and top ANC official, Bheki Cele met with Zuma.

Cele is expected to report back to ANC leaders on his discussion with the former president. However, political analyst Professor Dirk Kotze of the University of South Africa said the meetings with Zuma were unlikely to produce a solution. Another political analyst, William Gumede of the Democracy Works think tank, agreed that a showdown was inevitable.