INLSA

It is very unlikely that any organisation, particularly one of any size, would achieve a completely clean bill of compliance health if a comprehensive scrutiny were undertaken. This is a fact.

There will always be omissions or commissions, some deliberate, most careless or simply the result of the compliance order not being known or understood. This is not an excuse for the issues uncovered in the eThekwini municipality.

As a result of the auditor-general pointing to certain infractions, and a healthy dose of allegation and insinuation, a forensic audit has laid bare many instances of non-compliance which have compromised many individuals as well as the city’s administration as a whole.

That some of the breaches cannot be put down to sloppy work or deliberate manipulation to deal pragmatically in good faith with onerous and obstructive regulations, but to dishonesty and corruption, is deplorable, and, frankly, one hopes that these fraudsters get what they deserve.

Complaints from many quarters about the administration of the city have been common for some time. Durban people are very quick to criticise and find fault and, of course, the unpopularity of the street name changes has rankled ever since this was so insensitively handled.

Yet, the period under current review by Messrs Manase may be remembered in time to come as being among Durban’s best years. My return to Durban has been an eye-opener, for the city is far better than I remember it when I left in 1983.

It may not be cleaner in every respect, but the character of the city reveals many of the strengths of cultural diversity, while getting from one place to another is far easier than it was in Maritzburg, which has far less traffic.

In lots of other ways, our city is appealing, and I am in no doubt that had there been a COP17 about 20 years ago, we could not have hosted it with such aplomb. It is ironic, is it not, that many people responsible for this should be held up for vilification?

In truth, however, they have little or no defence if they have broken the law, no matter how onerous it might be. It is for the reason that we need them so badly in South Africa, that we must applaud the investigation and the exposures.

Too often, favoured people have been protected by inaction or concealed reports. The actions of the MEC in having pursued this matter are very acceptable and one hopes that they reflect a true desire to deal with the issues and not so much to discredit the people.

Indeed, her media statement last week was commendably balanced in this regard. She was emphatic that it “was never a witch-hunt against certain individuals”.

Among some of the prompters, however, there was a different motive, I’m sure. It was interesting to me that the statement included reference to quite a number of allegations that the forensic investigators had been unable to substantiate at all.

The tendency to destroy people’s reputations by making allegations against them is all too prevalent in South African politics. It is facilitated by our desire, very often, to see people pulled from their pedestals. We quite enjoy the humiliation of others, particularly when it is publicly paraded in the media.

It is for this reason that newspapers are frequently off balance in their presentation of the news. In this particular case, for example, the press coverage of the affair has not exhibited the same sense of perspective as the MEC’s statement.

Corruption has been spot-lighted to the extent that public perception reflects a belief that every one of the officials named is corrupt and has been pocketing ratepayers’ money or giving it to his or her friends.

It is a most unfortunate turn of events for the city. We have much to be proud of as Durbanites, but this takes some edge off that pride. It has made us suspicious to the extent that it will take time to restore confidence.

What is even more worrying, perhaps, is that our municipal officials, whether new or old, will also have lost confidence, both in their managers and themselves. Any slip could result in a similar outcome. What a scenario for indecisiveness.