By Howard Feldman, Synthesis
No one has ever confused Simon’s Town and Midrand. Or Pretoria. They are as different as the Drakensburg and the Kalahari. Or Waterval Boven and Oranjeville. But in terms of recent South African political history, Simon’s Town and Pretoria have more in common than either would be happy to admit.
Consider the following: In 2013, when we were young and Jacob Zuma was in the peak of his presidency, we began to hear rumours of international guests arriving, without documentation. The long and short of the story was that the Guptas – who were about to celebrate a family wedding at Sun City – had arranged for their visitors to use the Waterkloof military base near Pretoria.
It might have seemed of little consequence, but it became a pivotal one, where the relation between the Zuma presidency, the Guptas and state capture started to become clear: so much so that it became a focal point during the Zondo commission of enquiry into the corruption that had taken place during those years.
Needless to say, according to Bruce Kolane, the then chief of protocol, the approval of the Gupta family’s landing request at Waterkloof Airforce Base in 2013 was a big misunderstanding.
Koloane was referring to an email his personal assistant sent, where she wrote that he ‘telephonically approved’ the landing request. According to Koloane, the wording reflected a misunderstanding on her side or a miscommunication from his side.
It’s the worst when that happens.
As a result, Koloane was issued with a final written warning and suspension for two months without pay. He then became the South African ambassador to the Netherlands.
Lack of consequence aside, the Waterkloof scenario was a pivotal one. It was by no means the most horrendous abuse of power that South Africa would see, nor the most costly, but it was one that finally opened the eyes of the country and showed the Zuma-Gupta relationship for what it was.
Corrupt.
Fast forward 10 years. Or more accurately, nine years. There is a new president in town: one who promises accountability and transparency. For a while there is hope and optimism with South Africans even assisting in finding reasons for the lack of progress. So popular was Ramaphosa. Initially it was that he was powerless because of the slim margin of the win. Then there was that there was a good African National Congress and a bad one. And that the bad ones were responsible for all that was wrong.
The electricity crisis, broken infrastructure, high unemployment, crime and even lack of drive was tolerated, almost to an absurd extent.
And then came the Russian invasion of Ukraine along with the ANC’s stance on it. Protestations of neutrality aside, it is clear where the ANC’s loyalty lies. Military exercises, flip flopping of protocol regarding a Putin visit all added fuel to the already simmering fire. And all while the country’s image internationally was tarnished by the flames.
It all came to a head with the docking of the Lady R in Simon’s Town at the end of 2022. According to the experts, there is little reason why the port in False Bay should ever have been chosen. It also was a not a smart choice if secrecy was important, given that the port is visible from many areas around it and given that the town is a popular retirement choice for retired navy personnel. If secrecy was what they were after, this was a mistake of significant consequence.
The explanation as to what was loaded onto the Russian vessel has been confusing at best, but duplicitous at worst. A new commission of enquiry has been established, which results will not be made available to the public. The latest information seems to be something about South Africa receiving something for a contract that was signed in 2019. Or was that 2020? Before COVID. Vague. Embarrassing. And hardly worthy of a President who has built his reputation on integrity.
Like the Waterkloof event of 2013, the Simon’s Town one is not of major consequence. Whether the country did or did not deliver arms to Russia, will have no impact on any of the major crises that the country faces. But it is having an impact on the ANC and on the President. Because much like the Gupta wedding that marked a turning point for Zuma and his associates, so too the Lady R and the approach to Russia has done more damage to Ramaphosa than all the other misdeeds have.
Because much like Walterkloof, Simon’s Town has proved that it is not possible for the ANC to dance simultaneously at two weddings.