Corruption-busting: Tales of hope amid industrial-scale graft

Under Zuma the state was repurposed to serve a group of cadres, rather than the people of SA. This has been highlighted by the DA’s Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration Dr Leon Schreiber, who has been investigating the use of a perk that has apparently allowed former politicians, and spouses, to claim up to 88 business class flights each year.

Names of graft-tainted politicians like Zupta appointment ‘weekend special’ Des van Rooyen – whose short tenure as finance minister in 2015 caused the rand to crash – are on the list (see full story, here). But beneficiaries also include people like former National Treasury director general and former Absa CEO Maria Ramos and her husband, former finance minister Trevor Manuel, who is chairperson of the Old Mutual board among his private sector roles.

The use of free flights on taxpayers’ backs may be legal, but it is not ethical, particularly at a time when the country has run out of money, is Schreiber’s over-riding message. Do you agree that former politicians should lose out on perks that were given as a reward for public service? Listen to the interview with Dr Schreiber, here at BizNews Radio on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or on the BizRadio channel on the BizNews home page, and then tell us what you think.

Meanwhile, giving us hope is the small army of corruption busters, who include Dr Schreiber, who are winning battles. Take the story of EOH CEO Stephen van Coller, who has actively worked at rooting out corruption at the business he was appointed to run and has also committed to returning taxpayers’ funds. More on how Van Coller has worked with state investigators to beat the captured, here.

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