The State Capture Zondo Commission Report is out- finally

SOUTH AFRICA - In Brief 06 Jan 2022 by Iraj Abedian

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The year began with a bang on the South Africa's political economy stage. This is a critical year for SA's medium term political outlook as the ANC is heading for its mid-term elective congress in December 2022 at which the next leadership of the Party will be elected, and by implication the next president of SA will be nominated. However, January was marked with the much awaited, and 6 times extended State Capture Commission Report. The first volume of a 3-piece Zondo Report was presented to President Ramaphosa earlier this week who wasted no time to make it public in its entirety on the same day. This is highly uncharacteristic of President Ramaphosa who is typically ponderous and often times indecisive as regards matters that may affect the integrity and the political profile of the ANC. This is a powerful testimony to the considerable change in the calculus of power within the ANC Alliance. Clearly, the year 2022 is going to be defined by the open warfare among the competing factions within the ANC for the control of the Party and the likely trajectory of SA's political economy over the next decade. Ramaphosa is hell-bent to retain his control of the Party and cleanse the organization to the extent he can. Needless to say that he faces numerous strong internal and external head winds ranging from the embattled economy, dysfunctional SOEs, and pervasive unemployment on the one hand, and on the other the shenanigans of his comrades within his Cabinet to the subversive activities of his opposing faction within the ANC whose ill-gotten funds continue to finance plots and plans to attack his leadership and undermine his effectiveness. The first volume of the Zondo Commi...