Pravin Gordhan’s Death Exposes the Sordid Truth Behind ANC’s Crony Capitalism
The passing of Pravin Gordhan, the former South African finance minister, has sent shockwaves through the country’s politics. But behind the rhetoric of a great anti-apartheid activist and tax reformer lies a trail of deceit, corruption, and cronyism.
Gordhan’s remarkable career was marked by a series of power struggles within the African National Congress (ANC), the party he served for decades. But his fight against state capture, a term coined by Gordhan himself, only served to further entrench the very corruption he was trying to combat.
Zuma’s regime, accused of looting state entities, repeatedly undermined Gordhan’s authority, describing him as a "rent-seeker" intent on controlling the country’s coffers. But Gordhan remained defiant, vowing to investigate the poisoning of Eskom CEO, a crime that would ultimately go unpunished.
Gordhan’s ousting in 2017 was a culmination of his confrontations with Zuma and the ANC’s leadership. His successor, Nhlanhla Nene, was promptly replaced by the little-known David van Rooyen, a choice that sparked a selloff in the rand and the nation’s bonds.
The subsequent cabinet reshuffle, which saw Zuma appoint loyalists to key posts, was a brutal reminder of the ANC’s willingness to sacrifice its credibility for personal gain. It was a stark contrast to Gordhan’s commitment to transparency and accountability, qualities that would ultimately lead to his downfall.
Gordhan’s legacy is shrouded in controversy. His tenure as public enterprises minister was marked by inefficiency and mismanagement, resulting in rolling power blackouts and logistics snarl-ups that crippled the economy. His retirement in 2024, ahead of the May election, signaled a quiet acceptance of his own failure to reform the ANC.
As the truth behind Gordhan’s departure from the ANC’s cabinet comes to light, so too does the sordid reality of the ANC’s crony capitalism. The party’s leadership has consistently prioritized personal enrichment over the welfare of its citizens, and Gordhan’s death serves as a chilling reminder of the consequences of speaking truth to power.
