AFTER a tumultuous election campaign, Agang SA leader Dr Mamphela Ramphele used what could have been her last chance to speak to voters before Wednesday’s elections to defend her tenure as chairwoman of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) board, during which a forensic report cited nepotism and irregular procurements.
The audit — which led to the sacking of TIA CEO Simphiwe Duma — did not find Dr Ramphele guilty of any wrongdoing. The transgressions occurred when she was chairwoman of the board.
When the Department of Science and Technology revealed the findings earlier this year, Dr Ramphele was dismissive of the investigation, saying the matter was political.
She said that when she worked for the state agency she raised concerns about a number of issues but that the government had lacked the political will to address them. "I had raised the issues a number of times but the state would do nothing about them. One thing that you cannot accuse me of is being quiet," Dr Ramphele said.
When she launched her party last year, it was seen as having the potential to be an alternative for black voters wary of the African National Congress (ANC), but who were not prepared to vote for the Democratic Alliance (DA) and were put off the Congress of the People by its factional and legal fights. However, a failed merger with the DA earlier this year dealt a blow to her political profile and is expected to diminish her party’s chances in the election.
In depth: Election 2014
News, views and analysis of South Africa's national and provincial elections on May 7 2014Dr Ramphele warned on Monday that the ANC had fallen prey to a toxic combination of "a sense of ownership" and "lack of accountability". Asked for her thoughts on the root causes of state corruption, she said the government had fallen victim to a "sense of ownership" of state resources combined with a lack of accountability.
"I don’t know if it is easy to talk about understanding corruption. It is like understanding sin. I believe that it comes from a lack of understanding of democratic processes. It is a problem of a sense of ownership," Dr Ramphele said.
She said the ANC had followed the rule rather than being the exception among African liberation movements, which, having gained control of the postcolonial state, began to abuse public funds.
"Liberation movements that gain power around the continent behave like that. We have seen it in Angola, we have seen it in Uganda and we have seen it in Zimbabwe.
"This is why Agang is embarking on civic education and empowering citizens to know that state resources are common wealth and do not belong to the governing party. They are beginning to inculcate this culture in the (ANC) Youth League," Dr Ramphele said.
She said although her party’s merger with the DA — aimed at the "realignment of politics in SA" — was unsuccessful, she remained open to co-operating with other parties after the polls. Agang SA is one of five parties to bring a case to the Electoral Court for Electoral Commission (IEC) chairwoman Pansy Tlakula’s resignation, following an alleged scandal over the lease for the IEC’s headquarters.
"We cannot afford the luxury of a million little parties. We will have to come together to provide a viable alternative to end this monopoly of power," she said. Her party was confident of entering Parliament after the poll and that its "corruption busting machine" was unlike that of any other political party.
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