Purge state enterprises

MUCH of the political happenings in South Africa is reminiscent of a fictional spy thriller-cum-drama, but, the reality is that as the story of corruption unfolds, it becomes cold, concrete facts.

Many of the now commonly used terms such as state capture, tenderpreneurs, state enterprise bailouts and the billion word used glibly, all point to a country that needs a serious turn-around plan. A good start would be to see true justice meted out to the previous president and all the locusts involved in plundering the coffers right down to the Mandela funeral funds disgrace.

One often reads about minor offences being harshly punished, but blatant major corruption as is constantly uncovered in municipal audit failures, non-delivery of services and major pay-outs to bogus companies for shoddy work rendered, if at all, has had no visible consequences.

The current game of redeployment to escape justice has been going on for far too long. What South Africa really needs is a purging of state enterprises such as SAA, Eskom, SABC and many other ailing institutions with bloated bureaucracies instead of underpinning them with bailouts.

We claim to honour our ancestors, yet abandon them while the elderly are still living – this is a fact evidenced by the closure and non-funding of many old age homes.

We pride ourselves on blue-light brigades, luxury travel for dignitaries, massive salaries for public servants who also then partake in state tenders while we reduce much-needed funding for child welfare. One can only weep and lament what positive steps could have been taken with the multi-billions of misused rands which would have been the difference between life and death for many.

We do hope that all the cockroaches that have had a finger in the tax till will be hauled out from their hiding places and face the consequences of their sick plundering and misuse of public money. No one should be above the law, not even the president! — Trevor Watson, Gonubie