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The cancer of corruption

CONTINUING this column’s slight fixation with corruption, I am disappointed that this cancer still envelops the soul of some of the government’s operations.

This is despite frequent reassurances from President Jacob Zuma that the scourge is being dealt with.

Though I hate to say it, The Sunday Times has been in the forefront of revealing all these shocking corruption stories.

I hope Mzilikazi wa Afrika and Stephan Hofstatter, who I happened to interact with in my previous lives in Nelspruit and with ThisDay respectively, will understand my envy for the good work they have been doing.

They have exposed many corrupt activities in the government but the one that has triggered my ire is last week’s report that Simon Mofokeng, as union boss, had allegedly raked in at least R320 000 a month in what the newspaper claims were “shady empowerment deals”.

According to last week’s front page lead, well-placed sources at Sasol said Mofokeng was involved in forcing the petrochemicals giant to bow to the government's black economic empowerment policy in appointing black-owned contractors Khotso-Batho as one of the beneficiaries.

The newspaper claimed that his wife, Maureen, was the contractors’ only director and CEO, and owned a 90% stake.

The remaining 10% belonged to the ANC's spokesperson in North West, Obakeng Malao, according to the Sunday Times.

The contract was awarded in 2000.

The Sunday Times has established that Mofokeng signed a secret agreement in 2000 to hold an initial 25% stake in the company through a proxy, according to two independent sources who witnessed the deal.

Mofokeng also allegedly used his influence to receive favourable treatment for his family business from Sasol.

The drama with Mofokeng certainly does not end there.

Earlier this month Mofokeng, who is also the mayor of Sedibeng District Municipality (in the former Vaal Triangle area) and the chairperson of the local ANC, was arrested for drunken driving during working hours.

He was released on R1 000 bail and the case was postponed for September this year. There are also claims that he wanted to bribe the arresting police officers when he was arrested for the offence.

Local Democratic Alliance caucus chairperson Dennis Rhyder has called for Mofokeng to resign as mayor, saying this was not the first incident. Apparently, he was also involved in some drunken activity in one of the bars there.

However, the local ANC has allegedly claimed it will protect its chairperson with all its might.

The most shocking thing about this whole drama is that Zuma and other ANC head honchos shared a stage with Mofokeng a couple of weeks ago when Zuma visited the Vaal University of Technology (VUT).

During the president’s visit to the VUT, Mofokeng's arrest for drunken driving had already happened. I do not think Zuma was unware of the incident. Or is it that he knew - but decided to show the taxpayers the middle finger?

Mofokeng’s saga shows that the ANC’s policy of taking people off the streets and giving them senior positions in municipalities does not work. And it never will.

Many moons ago, in the late 1990s to be precise, I was sitting with my varsity friends in a great watering hole in the Vaal township of Sebokeng. We did not have cars at that stage because we were fresh from school.

It was getting late and we needed transport to take us home. One of our friends, who later became an ANC MP, called “our driver” to come take us home.

Guess who rocked up a few minutes later?  It was Mofokeng himself, driving a rickety red Ford Sierra, if my memory serves me well.

I know that South Africa is a country with all sorts of possibilities. But rising from driving varsity graduates around to being ANC chairperson, mayor and the owner of multiple posh houses in many of Johannesburg’s leafy suburbs is something else.

I think Mofokeng should resign from all the positions he holds. Doing so will not mean admission of guilt.

But it will be great for his integrity. In addition, he will be off the public space where he will end up attracting the attention of people like the public protector, which could have some terrible consequences.

Sources tell me Sedibeng municipality is not only corrupt from the base to the top, but from side to side too. Under Mofokeng’s leadership this could no doubt worsen.

Here is the central charge: Sedibeng municipality is a festival for the wealthy living in the district’s most exquisite suburbs.

I know people who joined the municipality with little or no qualifications and experience. But they are doing unbelievably well now.

However, very little work is being done to properly service the local communities there. The townships are still dusty in winter and the month of August.

Is it because of the character of its mayor?

Who knows?

 - Fin24

*Mzwandile Jacks is a freelance journalist. Opinions expressed are his own.
 
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