In an unbelievable development, the ANC says it is "shocked" by the scale of corruption in government. In a document called "ANC briefing notes: key ANC politicies and government programmes", reportedly prepared for the 2019 election, the party notes that there has been an increase in corruption despite the creation of crime-fighting institutions.
According to The Star, the document says, "The [past] year has revealed many new cases of corruption, and like all South Africans, we are shocked by the scale of corruption and the allegations of state capture, which we are determined to root out."
ANC 'shocked by scale of corruption', vows to root it out https://t.co/LUVEgJhM4j via @IOL
— Raymond Suttner (@RaymondSuttner) June 26, 2018
South Africans, however, were not so shocked. Or, rather, they were shocked, just not for the same reasons as the ANC.
The ANC is shocked that its deployees to government are corrupt... the corrupt are shocked that they are corrupt... the same people who award tenders under the cover of darkness at Cubana... The. Same. People. Shocked. What a time to be alive... 😂😂😂
— Ungangithumi (@CJSteyl) June 26, 2018
Many felt insulted by the ANC's statement, given how many reports of corruption were given to the party, and how often whistle-blowers were ignored or victimised.
We wrote books, ANC. We showed you emails. We wrote columns. We debated it openly on Twitter and Facebook. Some of us came to you in person. You scorned us. Blamed WMC, Blamed us. Hired PR companies. Don't insult us. https://t.co/VC0LbfrbXl
— Christopher Mumbeck (@ChrisMumbeck) June 26, 2018
#ANC is shocked by the scale of corruption.
Welcome back to wherever they were hiding. We have been talking about corruption since Mbeki years.
— Mdlane waseCrossroad🇿🇦 (@MdlaneCrossrds) June 26, 2018
And for much of Twitter on Tuesday morning, the only appropriate response was laughter.