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VERANSTALTUNGSBEI TRAG Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.

SOUTH AFRICA DOROTHEA GIBSON

February 2018 beyond and Corruption www.kas.de

2018 FW DE KLERK CONFERENCE

“South Africa beyond State Capture 2019, this year´s conference was en- and Corruption” was the title of this titled “South Africa beyond State year’s annual FW de Klerk Confer- Capture and Corruption” and con- ence held on the 2nd of February centrated on the issue of state cap- 2018 in cooperation with the Konrad ture, whether a change in constitu- Adenauer Stiftung (KAS). The leading tion might be necessary and which questions addressed by former future outlook might be expected South African president FW de Klerk with the new ANC leader Cyril was how South Africans “as a coun- Ramaphosa. In his welcome re- try are going to re-establish a sys- marks, Mr. Henning Suhr, Director of tem of governance that is character- the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in ised by integrity – with key institu- South Africa, elaborated on the tions that operate in the public in- Foundation’s work and mandate in terest effectively, professionally, ef- the country and additionally ficiently and without fear, favour or highlighted the importance of prejudice”. defending, protecting and promoting the South African The conference is annually held in Constitution. FW de Klerk, former commemoration of the ground- South African president from 1989 breaking speech by FW de Klerk be- to 1994, Nobel laureate and founder fore Parliament on 2nd February of the FW de Klerk Foundation then 1990 in which he pathed the way for opened the conference with his a democratic transition by announc- keynote speech. Guest speakers in- ing the release of cluded Thuli Madonsela, South Afri- and the unbanning of the ANC. The can advocate and former Public Pro- annual conference aims to offer a tector, Frans Cronje, Chief Executive discussion platform to address top- Officer of the South African Institute ics that are relevant to South Afri- of Race Relations (SAIRR) and Prof. ca’s young democracy. In light of the Haroon Bhorat, Professor of Eco- upcoming National Elections in nomics and Director of the Devel-

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Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. opment Policy Research Unit (DPRU) Ramaphosa´s actions whether he at the . will continue with the established SOUTH AFRICA system of state capture and corrup- DOROTHEA GIBSON The Constitution, State Capture and tion or whether he will disrupt and the Way Forward February 2018 dismantle it. De Klerk stated that

Ramaphosa had a positive start as www.kas.de Former president FW de Klerk, dis- mantler of and initiator of leader of the ANC and made state- inclusive negotiations that led to the ments against corruption, but so adoption of South Africa’s first fully “does virtually every leader in the democratic Constitution in Decem- emerging world”. Consequently it ber 1993, highlighted the unintend- will depend on Ramaphosa´s actions ed discrepancies between the objec- whether he will be able to re- tives of the constitutional design establish the independence of the and the current political landscape. institutions, appoint unimpeached On the issue whether the twenty- characters and resist negative temp- two year old South African constitu- tations. “Without integrity of the tion is still in line with challenges chefs it does not matter how well nd nowadays or whether changes have the recipe is written”, (de Klerk, 2 to be made to dismantle corruption, of February 2018). he clearly stated that the state prob- Like de Klerk, also Henning Suhr lems faced by South Africa at the from the Konrad Adenauer Founda- moment are not necessarily related tion in South Africa underscored the to the constitutional design and one need for independent and strong in- should not “open the Pandora´s Box stitutions to fulfil their constitutional of constitutional amendment”. In- role. Furthermore, he extended this stead he stated, “The viability of the argumentation by stating that “it is entire constitutional scheme rests in the hands of the voters, if they on the integrity and ability of the elect members of parliament who people that the President appoints serve the interests of those they to the cabinet […]. The idea was not represent instead of their own pri- that the levers of state power vate interests […]. A democracy only should be abused for the purposes can self-correct itself, if the people of amassing immense hordes of pri- believe in the power of their vote vate wealth”. and political change by elections”. Within this context, de Klerk implied South Africa in 2018: A Future Out- that President Zuma´s term should look end and a new era needs to start for South Africa. Concerning this new Frans Cronje, scenario planner and era, ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa is CEO of the South African Institute of the one on whom South Africans pin Race Relations, extended the politi- their hopes. But it will depend on cal debate by elaborating on the so-

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Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. cio-economic progresses made since nomic growth exceeding 5 per cent the end of Apartheid and a future by 2029. SOUTH AFRICA economic outlook for South Africa. DOROTHEA GIBSON Depending on the assertiveness of He clearly affirmed that South Afri- Ramaphosa and the outcome of the February 2018 cans today live under much better upcoming elections, the future of circumstances concerning labour www.kas.de South Africa can go in either direc- market conditions, health care, tion. “Within the next six months to housing and education than two a year we ought to have enough to decades ago. Despite these ad- say whether we are likely to vancements, he voiced concerns continue in the Break-up or whether about South Africa´s future econom- South Africa will enter the era of the ic growth and said the first steps to Rise of the Rainbow.” reach economic prosperity are to “restore the rule of law and intro- Bringing Democracy back to the duce economic policy reform”. People Cronje laid out four possible scenar- ios: Thuli Madonsela, who is a South Af- rican advocate and Professor of Law (1) The Rise of the Right: Civil rights at the as will have to be eroded to create well as former and space for a state-driven economic played a monumental role in report- reformation; economic growth will ing corruption and state capture, be at a level of above 6 percent and challenged South Africans to exert unemployment rate will be halfed. their democratic rights and ex- pressed hope for South Africa due to (2) The Tyranny of the Left: Mass na- the change in power in the ANC. tionalisation, civil rights and the rule Madonsela stated that democracy, of law will fall away, investment which in Greek means “power be- flight, currency depreciation, climax- longing to the people”, has to be ing in recession and hyper-inflation. brought back to the South African (3) The Break-up of South Africa: A population, who have suffered un- corrupt government undermining der the state capture by the politi- investment and deepening the fiscal cians. Especially the most vulnerable deficit with the consequences of a and poorest suffer under the conse- decreasing level in education and quences of state capture – like the health care. South Africa would un- pregnant woman, who needs to derperform on every level. walk several kilometres before reaching the next hospital, or the (4) The Rise of the Rainbow: a re- school children who cannot attend form ruling party will restore the class due to the lack of teachers. rule of law and South Africa will be- come competitive again with eco-

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Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. Madonsela suggested that strength- ening social accountability could SOUTH AFRICA DOROTHEA GIBSON fight the problem of state capture. Promoting social accountability on February 2018 the one side means protecting and

encouraging whistle-blowers. “Don’t www.kas.de look the other way” – Madonsela in- voked, it would not matter whether it was a family member or a good friend, “report it.” On the other side Madonsela suggested to increase the speed of investigations as evi- dence often already has been de- stroyed before investigators can get their hands on it. Furthermore, she said that people will not simply stop being corrupt, but that the public must demand social accountability by voting. “Strong institutions are good, but not enough; Strong lead- ers are good, but not enough; it is the people who appoint people.” With corruption, there will be no democracy and no social justice.

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. Europäische und International

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