In a letter to The Star, Azania Mboya says he is finding it increasingly difficult to continue defending the ruling party.
Johannesburg - Ever since we Africans were belatedly given the franchise in our own country I have steadfastly given my precious vote to the ANC. I have been inordinately proud of our government’s achievements post democracy.
There has always been a fervent caterwauling by opposition groups even when Nelson Mandela was in office. I suspect many of that coterie of doomsayers have an ulterior motive of not wanting what they consider to be the “nasty ANC” to succeed. In fact, I believe my party has not adequately articulated and publicised many of its undoubted successes.
This includes the over 3 million sub-economic state houses built (apparently a world record), providing electricity and water services on an unprecedented scale and laying a solid foundation of stability so that South Africa has prospered economically.
No other party has come close to redressing past racial imbalances via affirmative policies. In fact, most of the opposition parties seem to spend too much time impeding progress in African affirmation.
However, after the finding by the parliamentary ethics committee of gross improprieties committed by the (dis)honourable member Dina Pule, I find my patience is wearing thin, and I am increasingly finding it extremely difficult to continue defending the ruling party to colleagues and acquaintances against the welter of current corruption charges.
How does one possibly justify such criminality in the very seat of power?
The problem becomes serious when a government ostensibly grows so arrogant that media and public criticism does not seem to be a deterrent any more.
The government should take note that our African patience is not infinite. That is the lesson that even one of the continent’s greatest freedom fighters, Kenneth Kaunda, learnt when his UNIP (United National Independence Party) was defeated in a landslide victory by the MMD (Movement for Multi-Party Democracy).
The huge achievements of the ANC will be rendered meaningless if the party is indelibly tainted by inaction with an endemic corruption ethos.
The lesson that the ANC should learn from the Dina Pule fiasco is that unless strong action is taken in every instance of state malfeasance, without a deterrent big stick factor, criminality in the public sector will flourish.
Examples abound of a lack of government resolve to stamp out the rot.
The Pule situation closely reflects the indiscretions of the late Sicelo Shiceka who was similarly implicated in defrauding Parliament of a huge amount of money on overseas junkets, and an improper relationship with a lover. It is not generally known if Parliament has managed or even bothered to recover the R800 000 that was looted from the state.
The fact is that the exposure of his crimes do not seem to have had any deterrent effect on Ms Pule and her beau, probably because of the lack of past retribution.
Ever since the Travelgate MPs got a slap on the wrist, and shamefully kept their seats in Parliament, a terrible precedent of complacency has sadly been set.
It is not a pretty picture. Despite noble resolutions against corruption being passed in Mangaung, there is no tangible evidence of a new strong approach against government incompetents and fraudsters.
After being found culpable of gross financial irregularities, MEC Humphrey Mmemezi shockingly retained his seat in the Gauteng provincial legislature.
After Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan exposed massive incompetence and fraud in the Limpopo province presided over by Cassel Mathale, the former premier was rewarded with a seat in the national Parliament. What kind of a spineless anti-corruption message does that send out?
The reason I have thus far been able to maintain my support of the ANC in the wake of such rampant malfeasance is that I am aware that corruption is not remotely government policy.
It has unfortunately become endemic in the fabric of our South African society and is just as prevalent in the private sector as is evidenced by the disgusting construction industry revelations.
There is no doubt that the great majority of ANC MPs are decent law-abiding people who have the best interests of our country at heart.
But if it hopes to retain any credibility and the trust of the electorate, the ANC needs to prove those honest intentions by ruthlessly cracking down on every corrupt member.
It needs to give effect to the noble intentions of Lindiwe Sisulu’s Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Mangaung resolutions.
The country desperately needs a strong ANC to regain the moral high ground in the interests of national stability.
There is no alternative government on the horizon, as a DA government would be calamitous with its lack of will to redress past horrendous racial imbalances.
The chaos that would eventuate under a DA administration hell-bent on preserving white privilege would dwarf the current concerns about this ANC administration, which is perceived to be soft on institutionalised corruption.
So we need our leaders not just to pay lip service to Madiba’s legacy in insincere, lofty speeches, but to give concrete effect to his moral ethics, otherwise the alternative might be too ghastly to contemplate.
Azania Mboya
Hillbrow, Joburg
* The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Newspapers.
The Star