How does this happen?

Our local and international media (television, radio, newspapers, magazines, social media, etc.) covers this in detail every day. The citizens of South Africa are flooded with information of these individuals and their amazing wealth. Our fiscal (tax / budget) whom we as patriotic citizens and honest taxpayers contribute to is open to fraud and corruption by these officials. They basically have carte blanche authority to do as they please and very rarely they are held accountable for their actions. Even before they are held accountable, there is a major cover up of the overwhelming evidence and it is methodically swept under the carpet.  They dip their hands into government coffers with no guilt or regret, as follows:

• Use public funds for personal home alterations and security.
• Go on expensive holidays at taxpayer’s expense.
• Live in the most expensive and luxurious hotels and still have the audacity to take families and friends along.
• Travel abroad and take families and friends along.
• Exorbitant parties / events
• Tender kickbacks, favours or rewards.
• Government officials give themselves their own pay increases. You have read and heard of percentage increases that are extremely difficult to understand and consume in this volatile investment market. Any reasonable economist or statistician will warn that where increases are extra-ordinarily high, above market predictions then there is something drastically wrong. This should produce a warning bell or red flag regarding potential fraud or corruption.

Are these people looking after the interest of the country and the citizens? The answer is a definite NO as public money is squandered to enrich the select few.

What has happened to the integrity, respect and pride of freedom fighters and the struggle icons? Freedom is priceless and no money can buy or replace freedom. What is alarming and raises many questions is that many freedom fighters and struggle icons spent time incarcerated in different prisons in South Africa for many years and after being released, some of them become millionaires overnight. Where did they get the money from if they were not working and spent time (years) in prison or jail?How did they become as rich in such a short space of time as accumulation of wealth occurs over a long term in most cases? I am the first to admit, admire and respect them as they sacrificed their life, family, children, etc. to ensure the demise of apartheid and ensure that everyone lives in harmony with each other (black and white). Having said the above, most blacks and a few whites who resisted apartheid were also imprisoned in a different but relative form – the fact that they had to live in different residential areas, attend different schools and events, curfews, house arrests, restriction of movement or engagement, police persecution, etc. They were also imprisoned but not in any prison or jail structures. They were prisoners with no shackles. It is a fallacy to infer that only those that went to prison or jail were imprisoned and suffered the wrath of apartheid.

Although the majority of South Africans were not physically imprisoned or incarcerated, they worked their entire lifetime with no wealth to show or boast about. The majority live from day to day and as the day advances, their hope of prosperity diminishes. This is absolutely sad and heart breaking as we see it every day and everywhere you go. Many of them hope and pray for the very basic meal every day. Many of them may not have eaten for days or weeks and their tummies are searching for anything to eat before kwashiorkor sets in.  That beggar is someone’s mother or father, son or daughter begging out there in the most extreme and adverse weather conditions. Where is the equilibrium – something is drastically wrong?

Shareholders in companies

Some freedom fighters and struggle icons did not board the gravy train on its maiden trip but were elected or appointed to the board of directors of top and reputable companies. These companies wanted the face of a struggle icon on their board of directors to improve their credibility and reputation in the country. These individuals were blessed with high quantities of company shares and they became overnight millionaires.

My dire message to you is that sadly you’re hard won fight for freedom would have been in vain:

• if you do not contribute towards the economy and ensure that all the citizens of this country live a rewarding and healthy life – just like you do,
• if thousands of mothers, fathers, sons and daughters do not have a decent roof over their head and the walls of their tummies crack in search of food,
• if you ignore the plight of the poor and turn a deaf ear to their repeated callings.

Give back to the country or economy

In order to create equilibrium and prove to the citizens of South Africa that your fight for freedom was genuine, it would have been admirable if all freedom fighters and struggle icons that became rich overnight donated a portion of their wealth to the economy. You have the moral obligation that when you have been given far more than you need or deserve to inject back into the country. Do the ethical and righteous act to your fellow citizens.

Former and late President Nelson Mandela established the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. He was driven by his love for children and a desire to end their suffering and he donated a third of his salary throughout his term in office to the formation of the fund. The fund strives to change the way society treats its children and youth. This long-term vision captures the central role society plays in shaping children’s lives. My ardent plea to freedom fighters and struggle icons is that freedom has no price and a percentage of all those millions that you have acquired need to be put back into the economy to cater for the most important ailing sectors in our economy; education, health, housing and unemployment.

There are currently many of them that have donated large sums of money to various sectors but the overall small percentage is nowhere close to those that don’t contribute. For those that do contribute, I genuflect and take out my hat in total admiration and appreciation for your benevolence and humanitarianism.

EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO BECOME RICH AND TO ENJOY THE JOYS OF LIFE, BUT IT IS FAR MORE REWARDING AND APPRECIATIVE IF IT IS EARNED THROUGH BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS. FOR THE HUGE MAJORITY OF SOUTH AFRICANS, THIS DREAM STILL EXISTS AND THE REALITY IS THAT THEY WILL STILL CONTINUE TO DREAM ON.

I end this article with two pertinent and appropriate quotations by the late Chris Hani:

 “The perks of a new government are not really appealing to me. Everybody would like to have a good job, a good salary… but for me that is not the be-all of struggle. What is important is the continuation of the struggle. The real problems of the country are not whether one is in Cabinet… but what we do for social upliftment of the working masses of our country.”

“What I fear is that the liberators emerge as elitists … who drive around in Mercedes Benzes and use the resources of this country …to live in palaces and to gather riches.”

 (Selected statistics and events are courtesy of the internet)