February 10
Crime and corruption, everyone must agree, are the two most damaging and disfiguring blots on the face of our society.
Crime was, at its height, alarming and depressing and was the greatest single cause of our neighbours, friends and family packing for Perth. Even without studying the statistics, it’s possible to say that the perception of crime being out of control has fallen away dramatically over the last few years.
Maybe in the cities crime is still a big factor – I haven’t been to Joburg for a while – though out here I have an impression that the police are better funded, better led and more motivated than they were ten years ago.
It was a great pity that police commissioner General Bheki Cele got his hands dirty – whether by his own doing or not – so early in his short career, because I think his gung ho approach to policing actually gave cops a bit of backbone when they needed it most. Some were horrified that he encouraged the cops to meet fire with fire when faced with armed criminals by shooting to kill, but I bet by far the majority agreed with him.
So while crime, and violent crime in particular, attracted the national attention, the insidious evil of corruption has been growing unchecked in our midst.
Twenty years ago I would have hesitated before accusing the civil service of being corrupt, today it is a universally accepted truth that the service is corrupt at every level and that the level of guzzling at the trough of public money has become a national pastime. Which is not to say that every civil servant is corrupt. Just that those who are not probably haven’t had the opportunity. Last year it came out that 45 000 civil servants in this province had been caught with their hands in the till. It was so bad that instead of firing them, because this apparently would have brought the government to its knees – the thefts were converted to interest-free loans.
That is why I welcome the launch of Corruption Watch, an initiative of the Congress of South African Trades Unions (Cosatu), led by the outspoken Zwelinzima Vavi and backed by a strong board which includes former Anglo-Gold Ashanti boss Bobby Godsell and Vuyiseka Dubula of the Treatment Action campaign.
But we must also recognise that it takes two hands to make the sound of clapping. For every corrupt civil servant sneaking favours out to the tenderpreneurs, there is someone in the private sector benefitting.
Corruption is an obstacle to democracy and the rule of law. It depletes a nation’s wealth by diverting public money from providing housing, health care, roads and education or the supply of power and water to rural areas thus increasing poverty and inequality.
Society is worn down by corruption. Disillusioned people become apathetic and frustrated – or emigrate – weakening our society and so removing checks on the unscrupulous.
The first step in bringing an end to corruption starts with you: obey the law and encourage those around you to do the same.
You have the right not to be a victim of corruption. Everyone has the same right to be served fairly and without being discriminated against. Someone who participates in corruption or pays a bribe should not be served before you, and should not receive more services or better quality services than you.
The more you speak out against corruption, the easier you make it for others to do the same. Corruption Watch has vowed to shine a light on corruption so we can all see it.
I congratulate them on their stand and encourage everybody to report corruption on their webpage, no matter how small it may seem.
* * *
An attractive blonde from Cork, Ireland arrived at the casino. She seemed a little intoxicated and bet 20 000 Euros on a single roll of the dice.
She said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I feel much luckier when I’m completely nude.”
With that, she stripped completely, rolled the dice and with an Irish brogue yelled, ‘Come on, baby, Mama needs new clothes!’
As the dice came to a stop, she jumped up and down and squealed…‘Yes! I won! I won!’
She hugged each of the dealers and then picked up her winnings and her clothes and quickly departed.
The dealers stared at each other dumbfounded. Finally, one of them asked, ‘What did she roll?’
The other answered, ‘I don’t know – I thought you were watching.’
MORAL OF THE STORY –
Not all Irish are drunks, not all blondes are dumb, but all men . . . are men.
