McKinsey’s R1.1 billion payment doesn’t erase the damage done; Busa’s partnership risks normalizing state capture complicity.
It’s no surprise that Business Unity South Africa (Busa) has headed for the hills over the controversy generated by its getting into bed with a company which facilitated state capture, McKinsey.
The global firm has been announced as a “supporting partner” to the B20, which is an engagement group coordinating the participation of business in next year’s G20 summit.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has just taken over the presidency of the G20 and his office has raised concerns about the participation of McKinsey.
Earlier this month, McKinsey agreed to pay R1.1 billion to South Africa for its role in facilitating state capture.
The Presidency also expressed its unease at another state capture facilitator, global consulting firm Bain, having been called in to assist the project management office of the national energy crisis committee of ministers.
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Bain, it should not be forgotten, was one of those companies which assisted Tom Moyane to capture and, effectively, destroy, the SA Revenue Service during his term as commissioner there.
These are not nice companies – and that’s putting it nicely. In pursuit of mega profits, they were prepared to look the other way and even help the state capture looters steal and get away with their ill-gotten gains.
That was not victimless crime, lest some think the R1.1 billion payment by McKinsey means “all is forgiven”.
Millions of South Africans were deprived of a chance of a better life because government resources were stolen.
If Busa is prepared to let bygones be bygones, then it is, we believe, tantamount to accepting that this sort of behaviour is normal and that, as long as there is some form of apology once a company gets caught, then it can soon be back to business as usual.
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This can never be the right thing to do when the future of a nation has been stolen.
