President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to deal “harshly” with those found to be involved in corruption in the distribution of food parcels meant for the poor during the ongoing lockdown. On Monday he described the hoarding and selling of food parcels by these political mercenaries as “disturbing and disgusting”. Both statements amplify just how impotent Ramaphosa is in the face of his party’s corruption, and how he cannot survive politically without allowing it to continue.

First, the chances of “harsh” treatment of politically connected individuals in this and any other corrupt activity are nearly zero. It has not happened before. Why would it happen now? Second, except for the fact that it is taking place in an extraordinarily difficult time for SA, there is nothing “disturbing” about the food parcel corruption. No-one who lives here and works in government would be disturbed by these reports because this is par for the course in government procurement.

The minute Ramaphosa invoked the Disaster Management Act, the hyenas were at the door to re-enact what they had done during Winnie Mandela’s funeral, during declarations of flood or hail damage, or during any instance we have had in the past to disburse money urgently. In fact, many government tenders operate in this manner in ordinary times.

What is disturbing, however, is for Ramaphosa to say that harsh action will be taken against those responsible for this scandal. He has used the word “harshly” many times before in relation to corruption. It has come to mean nothing.

At an ANC KwaZulu Natal fundraising dinner in October 2018, Ramaphosa said he wanted the VBS scandal to be dealt with swiftly. “If people have done wrong against the people of SA, they must know that there will be consequences, and that the consequences are going to be quite harsh against them …. We need to speed up the process of ensuring that those who have done wrong against our people [are] made to account without delay,” he said.

Yet here we are, 18 months later, and the VBS looters and their political enablers (particularly ANC councillors who illegally deposited ratepayers’ money with the bank despite the law expressly forbidding this) are still walking the streets, and very possibly distributing food parcels to their friends.