Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Patronage has been part of the ANC's history since exile and has led to the present quagmire the ruling party finds itself in, says political analyst Terry Bell.
The alleged influence of the Gupta family in key government appointments has been described as ‘state capture’ of government by business interests outside the formal political framework.
The admission by Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas that he was offered the position of finance minister by a member of the Gupta family has cast a dark cloud on the ANC leadership's operations.
READ MORE: Guptas offered me Nene's job - Jonas
Bell says the ANC has always had a system of patronage "and patronage leads to corruption".
"The problem is patronage and the fact that people need their jobs to maintain their mortgages, there standards of living etc. And it is very well known in the ANC circles that if you step out of line you lose your position," Bell says.
WATCH
