From Dudula to Zondo to Zuma – 2020 was an exhausting year

It is still hard to decide whether the country should look forward to the year ahead, following the shocking developments in politics in 2022.

South Africa can only hope that things get better regarding proper service delivery and employment opportunities before the 2024 elections.

But the country cannot disregard a year filled with political turmoil.

Zondo Report exposed depth of rot

At the beginning of the year, the first volume of the Zondo commission report into state capture was released and the country got to see the extent greedy politicians could reach. The first part of the report was published on 4 January.

The fifth and final part was published on 22 June. It cost the state close to R1 billion.

The parts exposed years of extreme corruption, looting of billions of rands and stealing from the poor.

Also Read: State Capture: Ex-Eskom boss Matshela Koko challenges ‘biased’ Zondo report

The country saw big political names revealed to be involved in state capture, including former president Jacob Zuma, ANC national executive committee (NEC) member and newly elected first deputy secretary general Nomvula Mokonyane, Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources Gwede Mantashe, former minister of home affairs Malusi Gigaba, and additional allegations against the ANC’s suspended secretary general Ace Magashule.

Parts of the report also revealed the collapse of state-owned entities.

In the Zondo report, Zuma was implicated for providing the Gupta family an open door to hijack the country’s resources and it revealed Mantashe as a person who benefitted from projects as the then secretary-general of the ANC.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo recommended criminal investigations against Zuma and Mantashe.

Gigaba (re-elected as a member of the NEC) – was found lying about his knowledge of the Gupta family and of having used his position to appoint their allies in strategic positions at state-owned companies.

Mokonyane was implicated in corruption and Magashule was found “pursuing the agenda of the Guptas” by failing to do his job as then Premier of the Free State.

Multiple incidents of state capture took place within South African government departments and state-owned enterprises during the presidency of Jacob Zuma as senior officials routinely broke the law, the commission concluded.

The country now waits to see whether the National Prosecuting Authority will nab corrupt political officials.

Dudula, Fraser, and Phala Phala

Another destructive experience was the formation of a movement by Soweto residents called Operation Dudula, to “deal with undocumented foreign nationals committing crime”.

It caused an uproar, with some describing Operation Dudula as a vigilante group which intimidated migrants and street vendors.

Later came the news of the Phala Phala farm burglary when former director-general of the SSA Arthur Fraser opened a case against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Fraser alleged Ramaphosa hid millions of US dollars on his farm and claimed he was involved in money laundering, kidnapping, and concealing the truth.

Also Read: Ramaphosa ‘will not’ finish his second term, ‘regardless of political protection’

A parliamentary section 89 independent panel found he had a case to answer, but the ANC in parliament rallied to his defence and rejected the panel’s report.

But SA still waits to see if Phala Phala will affect Ramaphosa’s standing as president.