News Flash: The Guptas, state capture and the Oakbay letter in South Africa

News Flash: The Guptas, state capture and the Oakbay letter in South Africa

It is not often that a letter is at the heart of a political storm, but it has been in South Africa this week. The White Writing Whiteness blog provides a detailed commentary around how ideas about a ‘proper letter’ have been involved.

Recent high-profile scandals have rocked South African public life, many involving the Gupta family and other members of President Zuma’s inner circles and regarding the idea and reality of ‘state capture’. This week an ‘open letter’ was widely distributed, claiming to come from representatives of the employees of Oakbay Investments, key among the Gupta businesses, claiming its employees were being unfairly affected by measures taken by South Africa’s four major banks. It was met with many criticisms and rebuttals, which have hinged on commentators using the defining characteristics of a ‘true’ or ‘proper’ letter to assess – and dismiss – its contents. The Oakbay ‘open letter’ has consequently been seen as a false letter, the ‘representatives’ signing it viewed as unauthorised, and many of Oakbay’s employees have dissented from the views expressed and rejected any idea that they were consulted about it being written in their names. Ideas about ‘true’ and ‘proper’ letters have been central to unfolding events and the ensuing controversies.

To read more about this and related aspects of the ‘Oakbay letter’, please visit the blog: http://www.whiteswritingwhiteness.ed.ac.uk/blog/the-guptas-state-capture-and-an-oakbay-employees-letter/

 

Last updated: 29 April 2016


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