The VBS saga is not only a culmination of illicit accumulation of wealth but a heist driven by a glaring abuse of progressive policy outlook. The heist is what I can liken to the use of the Bible to colonise Africans. VBS has been a relatively medium sized bank serving the rural community of formerly Venda facing its own ups and downs and change of leadership. The “Great Bank Heist” report reflects various trends that epitomises the grand scale of corruption that had beset themselves in strategic levers of the state.
The report gives a micro case study of the machinations of the past decade that saw the institutionalisation of grand theft of state resources undermining progressive left policies of capacitating the state as a credible driver to lead change in South Africa, the continent and the world. This task is embedded in the ANC as a product of historic involvement in shaping the world and enjoying legitimate support of the people. The visible trend of patronage as the gate pass for siphoning state resources using vehicle finance, contract finances not serviced demonstrated the “at all cost” desire for theft.
The reports indicate how these machinations put a price to anyone responsible for strategic decision making and role playing in the heist. Corporate capture of the state by a family allied to the then Head of Sate machination find resemblance in the VBS cash heist. The sudden rise of voice in advancing “Radical Economic Transformation” seemed to justify the billions of irregular expenditures, and many VBS heist like arrangement where money is siphoned through capex projects, public sector and private sector of such illicit conduct like the Steinhoff, KPMG, McKenzie, large corporate firms. This is a general system of abuse of systems of governance for financial gain.
Despite the illicit conduct of the private sector, it serves not as justification for abuse of the state. As the Former SG Gwede Mantashe would characterise as “ the lowest common denominator” as the benchmark .The condescending phenomenon is the vulgarisation of policies of the liberation movement for capture in the interest of self-enrichment. There seem to be a clear link in the rise of opportunistic calls for transformation with a double-edged sword costlier to transformation. The sudden change of discourse around policy positions and escalation of state heists in parastatals, municipalities, departments need not be ignored as none within its movement contest the need for transformation.
Like the colonised we must use the Bible used by the coloniser to liberate all. The successful resolution of the land question, addressing of the huge unemployment amongst the youth, a weak currency which is likely to be the case in the next few years. Inequality gap growing wider and consumption economic pattern than producing. This will also depend on how key transformational issues are resolved such they add value than destruct it.
The reorientation of lessening state dependency with the changing world through technology, research, innovation, globalisation is necessary in the contemporary world. This mishap shouldn’t dampen the drive to reposition the state as a vehicle for change and a defence of the destitute in creating a prosperous society. It shouldn’t dampen the African Renaissance in our socialisation and development.
South Africa should position itself as a producing hub for the continent creating mutual value relations to develop the African continent. We should leverage the continents market to be a food basket through a successful land redistribution program. There’re many avenues to stimulate the South African economy with a capable state that enjoys moral legitimacy.