EDITORIAL | Cyril, has it dawned on you that to distinguish yourself from Zuma you must act?

State security minister Ayanda Dlodlo tried, thankfully in vain, to stop her acting director-general, Loyiso Jafta, from testifying at the state capture commission yesterday. What followed almost numbed us. 

Instead of protecting the nation, our intelligence officers spent inordinate amounts of time concocting, to use Jafta’s language, “fictitious projects” to enrich themselves. “And they did enrich themselves,” Jafta told deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, who chairs the commission. 

In periods leading to elections, projects were created and funded to enhance the political fortunes of the ANC. Another project was created to influence the judiciary in favour of former president Jacob Zuma, for which millions of taxpayers’ funds were spent. Millions were also spent on pay television network CNBC Africa and news syndication service African News Agency (ANA) to influence the media to give Zuma favourable coverage. 

A day earlier, Sydney Mufamadi, who chaired a panel that investigated malfeasance within the State Security Agency (SSA), told the commission that former intelligence minister David Mahlobo, who is now deputy minister of human settlements, collected R2,5m cash a month, increasing this to R4,5m months later, to help then president Zuma live in luxury. As if being a president was not luxurious enough. 

An agent who testified before Mufamadi’s panel said while he was not sure if the money eventually reached Zuma, he had no doubt it was released to Mahlobo and a project conceptualised, approved and funded, allowing the latter to leave the agency with wads of cash.

It is inconceivable that they kept this information away from President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Did Zuma get the millions? There are two main options: Zuma must stop running away from the commission and testify about what he knows. It boggles the mind that a former president, who repeatedly reminds whoever cares to listen about his innocence, would shun opportunities — in court and at the state capture commission — to clear his name. The second, probably best, option would be for the state to arrest and prosecute Mahlobo and, possibly, liquidate him. This would afford him an opportunity to explain whether he was a willing conduit in this criminal enterprise, acting in concert with Zuma, or if this was his personal scheme to defraud the people of SA. 

While it is significant that Mufamadi and Jafta, egged on by patriotism, spilt the beans on brazen corruption, we must ask what they did with this crucial information before this week. It is inconceivable that they kept it from President Cyril Ramaphosa. And if so, when was he made aware of Mahlobo’s jaw-dropping entanglements? Why is Mahlobo still a deputy minister? 

We do believe the New Dawn Ramaphosa spoke of in glowing terms at the beginning of his reign remains his guiding light. It is quite clear what Mahlobo is accused of runs counter to what the New Dawn is about. If this be so, why does he remain in his position? If Ramaphosa wants to distinguish himself from his predecessor he must not just spew nice-sounding rhetoric about respecting the rule of law. Those who violate it, regardless of who they are, must face its full wrath. Either that or Ramaphosa sees nothing wrong with their conduct.