IN JUNE this year, the government, and “organised” business “pellied” up to launch yet another joint initiative to fix the problems that engulf this country – largely created by the government itself.

Now, I’m the first to agree that something must be done about getting South Africa back on track and getting us all out of the huge hole that has been dug by years of ineptitude and rampant corruption under President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC’s governance.

However, and forgive my cynicism, there are a few things that concern me – greatly.

Glossing over the government’s glaring inability to “govern” or follow through with anything like being good for the country for the moment, let’s look at “organised” business, it’s a two-faced amorphous role in being party to corruption and fighting it as well as generating honest and true contributions to economic stability, where it actually gives a thought for mere mortals.

When I see the word “organised”, somehow it conjures up the phrase “organised crime”. So, I can’t help but wonder if this was a deliberate reference in the joint media statement the government and business issued on June 7 to let the business world at large know that it would still be business as usual, but under the PR guise of a new campaign that says it is cleaning up the country.

The reason for that is, let’s face it, we still exist in an apartheid-driven state, only this time, it’s economic apartheid controlled by … organised business, who are of predominantly white capital origin.

The press statement reads as follows: “The work will be directed through the Government-led National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM), National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC), and Joint Initiative to Fight Crime and Corruption (JICC) and overseen by a Joint Strategic Operations Committee.”

In other words, the future of our safety and economic prosperity is in the hands of unelected business leaders whose primary goal is … to make profits from us, the people.

The statement also reads: “This initiative builds on the success of prior collaboration such as the Covid-19 response, where Government and business worked together to implement a nationwide vaccine rollout.”

Who writes this stuff and do they honestly expect us to swallow it? Covid-19 was a travesty and a crime against humanity with South Africa enforcing some of the most stringent rules in the world that significantly contributed to our current economic woes.

As for the vaccine rollout, many of the companies on this new joint command forced their employees into being jabbed with something that as of today is still undergoing clinical trials – so, not a vaccine and humans were guinea pigs in the massive profit-making scheme of organised business and government (the world over, it should be said).

But that’s another story for another day.

To date, the government has spent millions, if not billions, of taxpayers’ money on commissions that have achieved what precisely? That there was, is, and will be for the foreseeable future corruption inside the state was already a given fact before the PR event in the form of the Zondo Commission was given life.

The inherent contradiction in the idea of a state-appointed commission investigating its own corruption is hard to ignore. One question is how can individuals chosen and appointed by the state be expected to impartially investigate the very state that pays their salaries and funds their operations?

The credibility of such commissions is further eroded by the fact that they are often subject to political interference. It is not uncommon for governments to use these commissions as political tools, selectively targeting their opponents while shielding their allies – the Mpati Commission is a case in point.

In such cases, the supposed independence and impartiality of these commissions become a mere façade, a charade played out for public consumption while the strings are pulled behind the scenes.

This concern is further reinforced by the ANC-led government pushing through a controversial bill that will, in its existing form, allow current Police Minister Bheki Cele to personally appoint the head of the “Independent” Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), and inform Parliament of such only afterward.

In other words, no oversight or independent vetting procedure. That it is also not constitutional and yet it was still railroaded through, speaks volumes.

Hardly the best start to this new joint venture between the government and “organised” business to stem corruption and make the country a better place for all to live and prosper in.

The new aforementioned JICC will engage directly with senior leaders of state security and law enforcement authorities – such as the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and the Investigating Directorate (ID). Their focus will be on preventing crime and corruption in various industries – including consumer goods, banking, mining, and private security et al as well as within the state itself.

In a nutshell, business will be co-ordinating its own efforts to disrupt crime syndicates, help rebuild the SA Police Service (SAPS) emergency line, improve the effectiveness of police stations, and so on.

However, having said this … the government will fund the JICC to pay private law firms and counsel to investigate and draw up prosecution charges against people implicated in various commissions, like the Zondo Commission. But, isn’t the NPA supposed to do that … have you seen any major action coming from the NPA in this regard?

Herein lies yet another concern and conundrum.

How can the government outsource prosecutions to private companies/law firms? Would this not be a major conflict of interest, given the propensity for private law firms to represent the government and their own business clients? Could we be faced with a situation where the ID or NPA can be used to settle scores?

It would be interesting to see what the portfolio committee on justice has to say; what independent thinkers have to say; advocacy groups and more on how and who will be maintaining and ensuring true impartiality in these matters.

The missing component in this entire equation though, is the people themselves. Who represents our rights and ensures there is no foul play, and that people come before profit, when the fluid lines between government, “organised” business, and the law are so blurred as to be one homogenous entity?

Who do we, the people, now hold accountable for our futures and the rights given to us by virtue of our Constitution?

#ipid

Criminals ‘forfeit right to life’ when waging war on police

Editorial: Cops must defend themselves, but act within the law

Give police skills to fulfil their role in a changing world

Is the government handing its job over to business?