Time to stand up, says Jonas

South Africans need to stop obsessing about internal factional battles within ANC structures while the entire country and its economy “is currently being stolen” right under their watch.

This is the message delivered by former finance deputy minister Mcebisi Jonas when he addressed the Daily Dispatch Strategic Business Summit held in East London yesterday.

He was sharing a podium with renowned speakers including independent political analyst Daniel Silke, business advisor Zipho Sikhakhane, economist Chris Ettmayr, Global Business Solutions CEO Jonathan Goldberg and University of Fort Hare’s vice-chancellor Professor Sakhele Buhlungu.

Jonas said it was time civil society took charge of the country’s destination instead of leaving its fate in the hands of a selected few political party leaders.

He said the country’s political leaders had lost their credibility.

The challenges faced by South Africa far outweighed factional battles within the ruling party, whose leaders, he said, “have been found wanting in terms of being able to respond to the current challenges faced by the country.

“People think that the problems we face are as a result of internal ANC problems, but I must say they are beyond the ANC factions.

“The reality we are facing is that the country is being stolen in a real sense, but you are busy talking about ANC factions. Well the Guptas are not ANC,” he said.

Jonas said what was happening in South Africa in terms of the state capture allegations was bigger than the ANC.

“What is really happening is the theft of the country and our economy.

“People should stop treating this thing lightly, as just small faction fights within the ANC.

“This has to do with the core of our economy,” he said.

Jonas said factional battles within the ANC were not based on ideological differences “but over the jostling for leadership positions”.

He urged broader society to take charge of its future, saying otherwise “all of us will be doomed and no one will be saved”.

Some of the ANC leaders, Jonas charged, were serving a particular agenda and corrupt interests.

He said the country’s challenges would not be solved by the much anticipated ANC elective conference in December, but only “by the society at large”.

“We are at a point where we all need to converge and look into how to deal with problems currently facing South Africa. The sooner we converge the better,” he said.

Things could get a lot worse very quickly if South Africans make the wrong choices.

“But if we make the right choices, I believe we can pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat and drastically improve our fortunes as a country and province over the next five years.

“Unfortunately I am not blessed with supernatural powers to see into the future, and I have also not used any rigorous forecasting methodology.

“I have rather based my thoughts on what I believe to be likely scenarios given the balance of available data and evidence,” he said.

Also to be prioritised in the short term, Jonas said, is protecting the country’s “strong and robust institutions” such as the constitution, judiciary, media, civil society, academia, SA Reserve Bank and the National Treasury.

“It is these institutions and traditions of democratic accountability that differentiate us from a Venezuela or a Zimbabwe, and is what ultimately safeguards us from absolute capture and collapse.”