SHACKLED BY THE PAST, GRASPING FOR THE FUTURE

Dear OUTA Supporters,

South Africa is not short on potential. We have the people, the resources, and the opportunity to ignite meaningful growth and renewal. But our biggest obstacle remains entrenched in a governing leadership that has too many ANC appointees shackled to past loyalties and present-day nefarious intentions.

This reality is constantly laid bare in the regular exposure of corruption or gross maladministration we encounter daily, from multi-million rand dodgy deals in our municipalities, to billions of rands lost in National Government departments that are simply not focused on the best interests of the country and its people. 

Instead of getting angry, we’ve become numb and no longer surprised when we read of incidents like the recent exposé of PetroSA’s “Dirty Fuels” incident, whereby a dubious diesel purchase and sale deal will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions. Gross maladministration pervades PetroSA, a department that has a history of cadre deployment, ineptitude and nefarious intentions, sorely lacking in accountability and consequence management. It’s a situation that also highlights Minister Gwede Mantashe’s continued infatuation with centralised state control, despite repeated failures, and exposes the outdated and self-serving thinking that still dominates parts of our government.

But this is not an isolated case - it is systemic. Cadre deployment, long disguised as transformation, is still very much central to the ANC’s strategy to entrench control. In mid-May, OUTA became aware of a troubling list of chairperson nominations intended to oversee South Africa’s 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs). This list, compiled most likely by the ANC’s Cadre Deployment Committee - whether formal or not - was littered with political loyalists, many of whom have no track record of ethical governance or skills development experience.

Each year, over R20 billion is channelled into SETAs via the Skills Development Levy. Our investigations have exposed how these institutions have become lucrative pots for plunder - through ghost learner schemes, inflated contracts, and manipulated tenders. We’ve seen how connected players have converted these funds intended for public good into private gain.

Fortunately, a shift in the highly corrupted Ministry of Higher Education may be underway, through its recently appointed Minister Ms Nobuhle Nkabane, who appears determined to clean up the mess left by her predecessor Blade Nzimande. OUTA believes the recent dubious SETA nominations list did not come from her desk, and we applaud her for seeking President Ramaphosa’s support in having it rescinded. That intervention was a crucial win against those in power who still believe they have a right to discard good governance and place the cost of mismanagement at the feet of the citizens. A new SETA Board Chairpersons nomination process is currently underway, and OUTA is actively seeking and nominating ethical, qualified leaders to take the helm of these vital institutions. Without this, the plundering within many of the SETAs will simply continue unabated.

On the global stage, we’ve also seen moments of opportunity. The recent engagement between President Ramaphosa and former US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows, but it also opened a door. South Africa must show the world - and the US in particular - that we are serious about growth, clean governance, and fighting crime. OUTA will continue to call for international cooperation that supports reform and economic justice, not ideological standoffs.

An extremely significant development that did take place in May, was the final implementation of the Budget 2025 by the Minister of Finance. It was a drawn-out affair that highlighted our new reality: the ANC is no longer in a position to unilaterally dictate tax hikes to balance its books. The formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) has displayed the positive benefits of this new political dynamic. Its partners now have the leverage to push back and insist on financial discipline, efficiency, and anti-corruption measures, before asking South Africans to pay more through raised VAT and other taxes.

The moments for meaningful accountability are unveiling themselves on a far more regular basis than they have in the past. As civil society, we must seize these opportunities every time they appear.

OUTA remains firmly on the frontlines, investigating, challenging, and engaging. We have recently revised our strategy to reduce focus on peripheral initiatives and instead, to remain focused on our core work of anti-corruption, maladministration and irrational policies. We also continue to note that our strength comes from you, our supporters, and that together we will continue to shake the foundations of complacency and create spaces for a more ethical, responsive democracy.

Our latest Annual Report is out – you can view it at this link. I urge you to take a look at what your funds have helped us achieve this year.

There is no time for rest in the space of civil activism.

Yours in active citizenship,

Wayne Duvenage

CEO, OUTA