Is the president of the country being blackmailed? Who else in his cabinet is being blackmailed? What does this mean for the security and stability of the SA state?
Last week the EFF held a press conference in Joburg. The party’s leader, Julius Malema, called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down from office over the scandal of the multimillion-dollar theft at his farm in 2020 and allegations that it was covered up, among other crimes.
Towards the end of his press conference, Malema directed his words at Ramaphosa: “I want to warn the president. There is more. There is more where money in dollars is counted in [sic] a plane. Let them continue to push Fraser [former State Security Agency boss Arthur Fraser]. There is more.”
What does this mean — “let them continue to push Fraser”? Does it mean that this week, when the final part of the Zondo commission report is unveiled and its findings point to wrongdoing on Fraser’s part, no action should be taken against him? If no action is taken against him, what makes him special? Does he hold information over political players which would be used to intimidate them into dropping charges?
If there is evidence of illegal money being counted on planes by Ramaphosa, why is it not being turned over to the police immediately for processing and action? It seems to me that the president of SA is being blackmailed in broad daylight to act in a particular manner — or else he will be exposed further. It raises the question: if Malema becomes president in 2024 and disgruntled spooks pressure him about things he may or may not have done in the past, will he not “push” certain people?
The use of kompromat to blackmail political players is a sign of the subversion of the rule of law
Here is another example. Last week, journalist and author Qaanitah Hunter wrote about Fraser’s tenure at the State Security Agency and the power he wields.
“Ask justice minister Ronald Lamola and his adviser Doc Mashabane, who tried to get rid of Fraser [when he was commissioner of correctional services], citing incompetence. Lamola wrote to Fraser [to ask him] why he should not be suspended for not doing his job. Insiders claim Fraser sent a file back to Lamola that thwarted any effort to remove him,” she wrote.
What was in the file? Why was there a file in the first place? Was it used to blackmail Lamola and his adviser into backing off? The use of kompromat — compromising information — to blackmail or manipulate political players is a sign of the subversion of the rule of law.
It is ironic that when Malema was shown these videos of money being counted on planes, he did not immediately alert law enforcement agencies. Instead, he seemingly advised Ramaphosa to comply with the demands of the blackmailers who hold compromising information.
Smear campaigns have now become normal in SA. Nothing in our politics this year has been as disgusting as the attempt to smear judge Dunstan Mlambo with baseless, unproven allegations of sexual harassment at the Judicial Service Commission hearings in January. Malema and Dali Mpofu acted as conduits for that smear campaign. There, too, you have to ask: who provided the false information — and to what end?
In an article in City Press at the weekend, Ramaphosa wrote that he would deliver an implementation plan for the Zondo commission’s report and that the guilty would be brought to book. His words suggest that he may indeed be facing pressure beyond the normal over the farm fiasco (for which he must account fully).
“As I told parliament this week, implementing these recommendations requires not only the highest political will, but also courage. Those who stand to lose from the fight against corruption have increasingly resorted to dirty tricks and diversions to shift the focus of [the] government and the nation. But we will not be deterred. We will restore the values of integrity and credibility to our government. We will take back our country from criminals.”
These are fine words. Yet, truth be told, Ramaphosa has handled this scandal badly by not coming clean swiftly. He should know that nothing stops a blackmailer as quickly as their weapon — the dirty secret they have manufactured — being exposed.
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