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Corruption Orgy: How our moral values are being tested to the limits

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Oscar van Heerden is a scholar of International Relations (IR), where he focuses on International Political Economy, with an emphasis on Africa, and SADC in particular. He completed his PhD and Masters studies at the University of Cambridge (UK). His undergraduate studies were at Turfloop and Wits. He is currently a Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Fort Hare University and writes in his personal capacity.

Corrupt elements in the ANC are not sitting idly by and waiting for their day in court. They are plotting and conniving against the one who is spearheading the onslaught against graft. They will not rest until they are assured of Cyril Ramaphosa’s downfall — and they are preparing for it by any means necessary. An ANC election setback will strengthen their hand.

Moral values refer to a set of principles that guide an individual on how to evaluate right versus wrong. People generally apply moral values to justify decisions, intentions and actions, and it also defines the personal character of a person. And so when confronted with so much wrongdoing and corruption by our so-called leaders and politicians, it sickens us to the core. Right is right and wrong is wrong, finish and klaar, I hear some of you say.

However, what if I tell you that it’s easy to tell the difference between right and wrong. Telling which wrong is more right is a different kettle of fish. After all, in politics, matters are almost never simply black and white, are they?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend among my peers and at dinner parties. One that goes something like this: It is unacceptable for these politicians to be this corrupt and benefit materially at the expense of the masses of our people and our own tax monies. This cannot be allowed to continue and hence, I’m voting against the ANC. In effect, I’m voting against Cyril Ramaphosa.

I’m here to implore you not to make this great mistake.

I’m not at all attempting to justify the wrongdoing on the part of many, as heard during the Zondo Commission testimonies, but simply stating that we must not punish the ones attempting to rid our society of these culprits. The project that was begun by all of us, as far back as late 2016, cannot be halted now. We rallied, mobilised our friends and families, marched to the Union Building and protested on the highways and byways, all because we wanted to say as loudly as possible: No More!

And once the ANC party faithful took that clarion call to heart at their national elective conference in December 2017, they voted the corrupt Zuma and his Gupta pals out of power and ushered in a “New Dawn” through Cyril Ramaphosa.

This they did because the call was loud and clear from citizens from all walks of life in South Africa: We want change. We want our dignity back. We want you, Cyril Ramaphosa, to do whatever it takes to restore our moral values.

The resultant outcome was three commissions of inquiry. South Africans are already angry at the loss of public funds through corruption. The devastation of our public institutions was wrought by those who sought to benefit and profit from it. Look at the damage to our economy and, needless to say, the ongoing suffering this has inflicted on the marginalised in our society.

I know some of you are saying the hearings are a waste of time and that we should have simply prosecuted the culprits. But that is the problem; we did not know exactly who all these culprits were and how deep the rabbit hole went. We needed a process whereby whistle-blowers could come forward and in effect, spill the beans. In much the way Angelo Agrizzi is doing now before the Zondo Commission.

Remember, the purpose of commissions is to flush out the rats. Once these rats are in the open, exposed, that’s when we can pounce, catch them and incarcerate them. Another reason this route is preferred at this point is to avoid upsetting the everyday administration of government. It is unfortunate that we find ourselves in an election year, which means you need all hands on deck to ensure that your party wins as many votes as possible.

Upsetting the applecart with arrests, prosecutions and incarceration would be to cut off your nose to spite your face. Opposition parties might disagree with these sentiments now, because it will score them votes, but they know too well: You need a stable party if you stand any chance of winning votes.

Let us not now lose focus on the bigger picture, which is to rid ourselves of these corrupt elements in the ANC. We know why the majority voted CR into power at the ANC National Conference in December 2017. It was precisely to have a change of guard which will clean up the ANC — and our government by extension — from within.

And if you think Agrizzi is as entertaining as a soap opera, best get more popcorn and Slush Puppies, because the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) commission will make the Zondo Commission look like a walk in the park. Yes, we must expose and prosecute all politicians involved in corruption, and similarly, we must expose and prosecute all private-sector players involved in corruption. And I’m afraid the PIC inquiry will expose exactly that. Banks, construction companies, mining houses and so many more will have to step forward and account for their respective wrongdoings. So fasten your seat belts because the ride will become very bumpy.

If we are to see this cleaning-up project through to its logical conclusion, we simply must vote for CR and give him a clear and massive mandate with which he can begin our renewal, starting with firing, prosecuting and incarcerating those that have been implicated in the Zondo Commission.

Or let me put it differently: These culprits are not sitting idly by and waiting for their day in court. They are plotting and conniving against the one who is spearheading this onslaught. They will not rest until they are assured of Cyril Ramaphosa’s downfall — and they are preparing for it by any means necessary.

Whatever the plan, I think it cannot be executed before this election because the whole point is to ensure that they (the culprits) stay in power and hence have their hands on the purse strings, so nothing will happen before this election. But once it is over they will execute the plan, whatever it is.

Part of the plan is also to see what proportion of votes Ramaphosa can muster. Remember, under Zuma, the ANC won 62% of the electoral votes. If Ramaphosa compromises the party by achieving, for argument’s sake, only 55% or less of the votes, they will immediately call for his head — another recall in the offing. And in effect, the clean-up project would be stillborn.

So, I say again, it’s easy to tell the difference between right and wrong. Telling which wrong is more right is a different kettle of fish. Remain true to the project of cleaning up South Africa. Your vote matters. DM

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