{"id":14568,"date":"2021-07-16T13:59:33","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T13:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amabhungane.org\/?post_type=stories&p=14568"},"modified":"2024-09-15T15:13:23","modified_gmt":"2024-09-15T15:13:23","slug":"210716-amab-analysis-we-must-reclaim-the-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/210716-amab-analysis-we-must-reclaim-the-state\/","title":{"rendered":"AmaB Analysis: We must reclaim the state"},"content":{"rendered":"

The events of the past few days have been shocking and depressing, coming as they did on top of the ongoing Covid crisis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The husband of one of our staff was trapped in Alexandra for hours by looting. Others have been concerned for relatives in KwaZulu-Natal.<\/p>\n

Where I stay there has been shooting and mayhem in the valley just below us and our street was one of those that organised a residents’ street patrol throughout the night.<\/p>\n

Aside from the psychological stress on all staff, it must be said that this kind of social and state failure represents a real challenge to our work.<\/p>\n

Accountability journalism relies on at least a semi-functional system of political, social and institutional corrective processes and pressure \u2014 and a capacity in the state to respond.<\/p>\n

What we are reaping is the harvest of a decade of state decay and criminal repurposing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The state has lost significant capacity and reach \u2014 as well as being the site of political contestation and competition for access to wealth and patronage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a whole range of ‘violence entrepreneurs’ who now challenge the basic social contract between citizens and the state. Zuma and Malema are only the most prominent.<\/p>\n

The security services themselves have been compromised \u2014 and there is an increasing overlap between rogue state players, political formations, protection rackets and organised crime.<\/p>\n

We are going to have to reassess our priorities and strategies in the light of these realities.<\/p>\n

What is very evident in this crisis is the loss of capacity in state and political structures to manage communications and co-ordination. Even the private sector does not appear to have managed to weld together an effective channel – despite the very efficient communication platforms now available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this climate, trusted media information is even more critical for citizens to adapt, survive and potentially to forge grass-roots networks that can protect their interests.<\/p>\n

Even if we get through the immediate crisis, the state has been so compromised that its current make-up and orientation represents a longer-term threat to a sustainable democracy and improvement in the lives of the poorest South Africans.<\/p>\n

We cannot abandon the state, even though it feels like the state has abandoned us.<\/p>\n

We need to fight to reclaim it from bad actors \u2014 the selfish, the incompetent, the corrupt.<\/p>\n

To do this we need to shine a light on what it is doing and not doing \u2013 something that can support and bolster those civil servants and service providers who want to do the right thing.<\/p>\n

While it seems a distraction right now, our investigation into government\u2019s emergency energy procurement programme provides a window on what can be achieved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We believe that our detailed reporting on the question-marks surrounding the Turkish-led Karpowership bid has not only informed you, but also widened the space for officials to do their jobs without fear or favour.<\/p>\n