Statement by Bantu Holomisa, UDM President
9 December is Anti-Corruption Day, yet South Africa has been on the slippery slope of corruption since the Sarafina 2 debacle in 1996. But the past fifteen years has seen an exponential growth and exposure of corruption in this country, with the revelations at the Zondo Commission confirming our suspicions that the Real State Capturers are in fact no one else, but the ruling party itself.
The corruption and cronyism which continues in government further burdens the country, and cripples government from implementing policies which will empower all South Africans and create opportunities for growth and development. For instance, corruption is one of the single greatest contributing factors towards the dysfunction at Eskom, which is unable to stop loadshedding in this country, which in turn affects the country’s economy and the ruling party-led government thinks it is a good idea to risk bailing out Eskom with Public Investment Corporation (read Government Employees Pension Fund) monies to the tune of billions of rands, time and time again with no prospect of ever recovering those funds. Corruption creates an economic environment that drives away local and foreign investors. Our people are drawing the short straw as corruption and tenderpreneurship are affecting service delivery in the worst possible way, especially at local government level.
To complicate matters, ministers have morphed into “super Directors-General” (DGs), and they have usurped the powers of accounting officers. They issue directives in the absence of, or contrary to, the advice of DGs and senior officials, on such matters as tenders and other administrative processes. This has happened in the Arms Deal and various other occasions, such as in the case of empire-building, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande.
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has been batting on the wicket of the ethics of good governance since its inception. Way back during the day when we were called counterrevolutionaries for merely pointing out the truth about the ruling elite who had their hands in state coffers. We were called fools when we fought for the retention of the Scorpions (Directorate of Special Operations). That has not stopped the UDM from picking our battles and maintaining our zero-tolerance stance on corruption.
The UDM has over the years thoroughly been vindicated as the hyenas of the ruling party are sitting in the proverbial rich seats, abusing power to cover up further abuses and to protect their own from consequences and prosecution through their majority in Parliament.
The UDM believes that the responsibility for acts of corruption lie not only in the hands of those who have committed it, but their managers and superiors must also share the responsibility. The implication of this philosophy is far-reaching since there are very senior government leaders and officials who make themselves guilty of misconduct.
The UDM therefore believes that it is time to bring back the Scorpions.
South Africans however must not feel robbed of power in this situation, since the very power to affect change resides in their right to vote. The next opportunity to make change is around the corner with the 2024 National and Provincial Elections and we call on all South Africans to rely on their power to make changes to their government and vote out the corrupt, Real State Capturers i.e. the ruling party.
