Transformation debate 'flipped' to suit greedy few – judge

A dangerous trend had manifested itself in debates about transformation in SA, one which flipped worthy ideals into their opposite in order to further the economic interests of a few, Judge Dennis Davis claimed yesterday, according to a Business Day report. Davis said he personally believed that the banking sector was subversive of serious economic transformation. This idea, however, was flipped in the service of a project that had absolutely nothing to do with the economic transformation of 50m people, but rather the enrichment of a small group of people. Criticism of the Constitution for holding back land reform and restitution was harnessed to justify the opposition to new anti-corruption laws such as the proposed amendments to the Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment Bill, which was attacked as an obstacle to transformation. Those who would be most harmed by messing with the banks and the financial sector were the poor, Davis noted.