Readers’Views
Lawsuits might end tradition of impunity for corporate crooks
Ron Derby’s column “Private sector’s genius by reputation lies exposed” (December 10) refers. Unfortunately, this is not a new story in the South African business environment.
In the late 1990s, I worked for a specialised chemical manufacturer. When the company of which it was part was unbundled, it was bought by a company whose directors and board were subsequently also found not to be entirely honest or able to carry out their responsibilities.
Last I heard, they were living the life of Riley on exclusive golfing estates in KwaZulu-Natal while awaiting, and doing everything to avoid, their day in court.
In the meantime, pensioners and laid-off workers were living in reduced circumstances due to the malfeasance of said gentlemen.
What has changed?
There have been huge amounts of hubris from South African business leaders leading to other scandals involving listed businesses.
Maybe the company laws in South Africa are not strict enough, or not applied and regulated properly.
I do also wish that people in South Africa were more litigious and would sue senior management, board members and asset managers in their personal capacity for turning a blind eye to corporate mismanagement. Rupert Jackson, on BusinessLIVE
Ours is a crippled democracy
The ANC elective conference is the most crucial indaba in the history of South Africa.
Recent disturbing and painful events in governance unsettle those whose dreams of a country free of rampant and audacious corruption are shattered by leaders who are in utter denial. We are grimly witnessing the strangulation of our democracy.
With the latest downgrade to junk status, we could play Monopoly with our worthless currency.
It is imperative for all candidates at the elective conference to eschew acts capable of undermining our democracy. We do not need leaders who belly-crawl and boot-lick the stinking toes of foreign businessmen.
The South African dream as espoused by Nelson Mandela and the founding fathers of our democracy has lost its lustre and meaning.
As we take leave of 2017, polarisation seems to be threatening our democracy and our politics, turning compromise and comity into quaint relics of the past.
Our idealism has lost its flame — the grotesque day-to-day revelations of corruption gnaw at it until it vanishes. The void left is filled with defeatism. The whole edifice of our democracy stands crippled beyond repair or redemption.
Farouk Araie, Johannesburg
Private healthcare boosts costs
I refer to “Shhh, don’t tell the doctor you have gap cover ” (December 10). The proposed National Health Insurance may be costly to implement, but the more we all use public systems the more revenue will be generated to attract specialist doctors and surgeons from private healthcare and the less costly medical care will become. The private healthcare system contributes heavily to the high costs of medical care due to shareholder demands.
Judge Jury Prosecutor, on BusinessLIVE