One strike, you're out forever - Ramphele

DURBAN:080813 Maphele Ramphele speaks at the University of Westville. PICTURE:GCINA NDWALANE

DURBAN:080813 Maphele Ramphele speaks at the University of Westville. PICTURE:GCINA NDWALANE

Published Oct 11, 2013

Share

Cape Town - Agang SA will ensure clean governance in the public and private sector if put in charge of the country, party leader Mamphela Ramphele said on Friday.

“We urgently need a competitive economy led by accountable leadership,” she told business leaders at the Accelerate Cape Town Thought Leaders' breakfast.

“We will unveil detailed economic plans at the end of this month but let me give you some indicators.”

For the public sector, penalties would be put in place for corruption and performance agreements signed to ensure accountability.

Public servants found guilty of corruption would receive a minimum jail term of 15 years, regardless of the amount of money involved. The same sentence would be imposed on a member of the public found to have bribed or corrupted a public servant.

“We will establish a register where if you have been found guilty of corruption as a public servant, that's it. Tickets. One strike, you're out forever,” she said.

“No (to) this thing of Madam red shoe ending up from being a corrupt minister of communications to (becoming) an MP. What is she going to do in Parliament?

She was referring to former communications minister Dina Pule, who was reprimanded and suspended by Parliament in August for the scandal that saw her boyfriend benefit from state funding.

Ramphele said ministers would have to work for their salaries. Salary increases would be linked to achievable goals, in terms of economic growth and job creation, to avoid fruitless expenditure.

The party also hoped to root out corruption in the private sector and the abuse of consumers through unfair business practices.

Ramphele said the Competition Commission was “weak” and needed to be given “teeth” to scare businesses into complying with fair practice.

Investigations took too long to complete. It allowed businesses to earn interest off money unfairly gained, with only a slap on the wrist waiting for them after a few years.

She said loopholes needed to be closed to prevent “easy” money being made off struggling consumers.

“When I think of what we pay in bank charges, IT charges, cellphone charges, it's criminal. You and I know that but we are very tolerant of unbecoming behaviour,” she said.

“We need to create a business environment in South Africa that is more conducive to creating economic growth and attracting both domestic and foreign investment.”

Ramphele warned that if voters re-elected the ANC into power, their tax money would disappear through corruption, along with their democratic freedom.

“As the governing party becomes more and more insecure, democratic space is being squeezed.”

“We have be to very careful. There is a process of Zanu-fication in South Africa and if we don't wake up as citizens... we have only ourselves to blame.”

She was referring to President Robert Mugabe's rule in Zimbabwe through the Zanu-PF party, which has repeatedly won elections there. - Sapa

Related Topics: