Join the conversation on Covid-19 and corruption

There’s a widespread perception that very little is being done to hold graft-tainted politicians to account. But there have been developments that, viewed collectively, can give us hope that South Africa can turn the tide on corruption, one case at a time.

This week, a small fish was wriggling on the hook in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office. His spokesperson Khusela Diko stepped aside on news her husband has his snout in the Covid-19 trough.

Among those leading the charge against former president Jacob Zuma and his cronies have been civil society activists like Wayne Duvenage of OUTA (Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse). OUTA has notched up successes for the good guys, like getting incompetent, greedy former SAA boss Dudu Myeni banned from ever serving as a company director.

Citizens really want to see Jacob Zuma and friends put behind bars for corruption that has gnawed away at structures holding up our fragile economy. Instead, the former president’s lawyers have manipulated legal processes to Zuma’s advantage, leaving him to flaunt his freedom on YouTube-hosted Zoom hangouts with smug son Duduzane, a Gupta family associate. And the Zondo Commission into State Capture has been costly, with a price tag of R700m and counting, and slow.

* Join the BizNews conversation on corruption and Covid-19. Broadcaster Tim Modise hosts Mike Marchant of Open Secrets, Wayne Duvenage of OUTA and Tebogo Khaas of the SMME Forum at the BizNews Thursday Noon Webinar today. ‘The Plundemic during the Pandemic’, as Khaas calls it, has angered a lot of South Africans who are calling for drastic action to be taken. Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8398038334086112016.

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