When Zuma Goes. Ralph Mathekga

when he fired Nhlanhla Nene. The concern within the ANC, despite divisions that may exist within the party, is that it is too risky to engage in fights on too many fronts at the same time. The party is struggling to convince ordinary South Africans that, despite the noise made by the opposition, the ANC has a legitimate right to make decisions and govern. The party is concerned with the reality of unemployment, and it has to convince the masses of unemployed youth that it has a solution. There are also the many scandals around Zuma himself, which raise concerns about the credibility of the leadership the ANC provides. All of this dictates that a direct confrontation with the markets is political suicide. Hence the party might wait and fight one battle at a time. In the meantime, the ANC has resorted to the classic explanation that the Treasury is a stumbling block to transformation. It has allegedly been captured by interest groups, the so-called Stellenbosch mafia, who want to maintain their grip on the state through control of key institutions, such as the Treasury. This is flipping the script, but Zuma’s hold on the ANC will ensure that this script gains resonance within the party.

      Through his capture of the ANC, Zuma has a good opportunity to reformulate the debate on state capture, and to ensure that the ANC appears to be a victim in an environment dominated by foreign capital and local collaborators. The party’s compliant auxiliary bodies – the ANC Women’s League, ANC Youth League and Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans’ Association – do not need to be convinced of this idea; they are already propagating it. In his route towards ensuring the capture of the state, Zuma first had to capture the ANC, a task he accomplished well.

      In order to capture the state, it is necessary to bring key institutions into alignment. Capturing a political party ensures that there is no political recourse against those who seek to capture the state. Capture of the criminal justice system ensures there are no meaningful investigations into corruption and the diversion of state resources. This is a complex project that involves different battles along the way. Zuma’s efforts in this regard began with the capture of the ANC, a necessary step on the road to state capture.