Business collaboration with Zuma fuels young radicals “white capital” fire
The elephant which dominates South African boardroom discussion – the Gupta State Capture agenda – seems to stay in that rarified atmosphere. When the worthies leave mahogany row their passion dissipates into silent alignment with the Gupta family's close friend, President Jacob Zuma. Last night Zuma hosted business leaders in the same way any other head of state would do. To any outsider, it was as though those dynamite disclosures by Mcebisi Jonas and Vytjie Mentor, and the scathing judgement by the Constitutional Court never happened. You have to wonder what is worse – Zuma ignoring allegations that the Guptas appointed his key cabinet members and plundering of the private purse to expand his homestead; or private sector leadership's endorsement through a conspiracy of silence. By their actions last night, executives send the rest of us the message that Zuma is right to ignore the national heroes who risked much in exposing the Gupta modus operandi and the President's deceit. At last night's meeting with Zuma, representatives of big business smiled in collaboration, tinkering on the fringes while acting as if real issues bedevilling the South African economy – crony capitalism, cadre deployment and corruption – are someone else's bad dream. A little backbone usually goes further than compliance. On this evidence, little wonder young radicals dismiss spineless "white capital" as part of the problem? – Alec Hogg
By Karabo Ngoepe
