British politician and former anti‑apartheid campaigner Lord Peter Hain said South Africa went from a global “hero” under Nelson Mandela to near “zero” under Jacob Zuma, citing the deliberate disabling of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and ongoing threats from corruption and criminal infiltration.
Collapse of institutional trust, he says
Hain made the remarks on the SMWX podcast last week. He said South Africa’s international standing as a “beacon of liberation and democracy” under Mr Mandela was severely damaged during the Zuma presidency.
“South Africa was sort of a hero under Nelson Mandela and a beacon of liberation and democracy… I’m not saying it fell to zero under Jacob Zuma, but it came pretty close and lost its status as a beacon for liberation and democracy.”
He singled out the South African Revenue Service as an example of a state institution that was “deliberately disabled” during the Zuma years, alleging that this occurred on the advice of a global corporate firm, Bain & Company. Hain said the damage to public institutions helped erode confidence and fuel perceptions of state capture.
Ramaphosa era: partial recovery, lingering disappointment
Hain said expectations of rapid reform after President Cyril Ramaphosa took office were not fully realised. He acknowledged some improvements — including appointments of “better heads” at institutions such as SARS and the continued operation of constitutional democracy — but said many South Africans remain disappointed.
He contrasted the overt, brazen corruption of the Zuma years with a more concealed threat under the current administration. According to Hain, the danger has shifted from conspicuous state capture to:
- a “subterranean infiltration” of law‑enforcement agencies by criminal mafias;
- corruption that is less ostentatious but still “extremely dangerous”; and
- a need for a focused legal and constitutional response to restore institutional integrity.
Constitutional resilience offers route to repair, he says
Despite his sharp critique, Hain identified one positive: the ANC’s acceptance of election results after losing its majority, which he said demonstrated that South Africa’s constitutional order remained functional and could be used to address failings.
He urged confidence in legal and constitutional mechanisms as avenues to tackle crime and corruption, while warning that any effective response must confront the alleged penetration of law‑enforcement bodies by organised criminal groups.
| Era | Characterisation (per Hain) |
|---|---|
| Nelson Mandela | “Hero”, beacon of liberation and democracy |
| Jacob Zuma | Near “zero”; institutions like SARS deliberately weakened |
| Cyril Ramaphosa | Some institutional repair but lingering, less overt corruption and disappointment |
Hain’s comments add to an ongoing international conversation about South Africa’s governance since 1994. They echo concerns frequently raised domestically by opposition parties, civil‑society organisations and investigative reports about state capture, institutional weakening and the challenge of restoring public trust.
Details in Hain’s remarks about Bain & Company’s role and the precise mechanisms by which SARS was weakened are assertions from his podcast interview and have been widely debated in South African public discourse. Investigations and court proceedings in South Africa have previously explored aspects of state capture and the conduct of private firms; Hain’s remarks reflect one external perspective on those developments.
His call to rely on constitutional and legal remedies aligns with repeated appeals by both domestic and international observers that upholding the rule of law is central to reversing institutional decline and tackling corruption.
These observations are still developing. Further reporting and official responses would be required to corroborate specific claims about individuals or firms.
