Can’t trust politicians to see to people’s interests
The past decade of politics in SA shows that very few politicians can be trusted to look after the people’s best interests.
This is not unique to SA. Worldwide, politicians, in government or opposition, are in it for themselves.
When the ANC resolved in 2007 to disband the Directorate of Special Operations, a crime-fighting outfit known as the Scorpions, the party’s only aim was to protect its leaders who had been stung by the unit because of their corruption.
Others knew they had also committed crimes.
Among the liberation fighters turned proven criminals were Tony Yengeni and Schabir Shaik.
Their greed destroyed them.
They were two of the very few criminals hiding behind the party of Oliver Tambo who were jailed for their crimes. Many got away.
Many more people who could have been jailed had the Scorpions survived, like Jacob Zuma and Julius Malema, were protecting themselves and their comrades from justice.
The only losers were the people.
Thus, after only eight years of combating crime as a new unit, the Scorpions fell victim to politicians’ insatiable lust for power and greed.
It was 10 years ago that the unit was officially disbanded.
Zuma’s big boot crushed its head.
Not much has changed since.
The politicians are still only looking after their own interests, at the expense of the people who elected them.
The Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture has revealed evidence of selfserving zealots who broke laws to enable their comrades to plunder key state institutions for private profit.
In return, they just wanted promotions.
Or to keep their jobs. Look around SA and see who is enjoying the trappings of power while the people have no means to support themselves.
A better life for the few in power.
Without even an attempt to explain the reasons or benefits to the electorate, parties like the DA and EFF remove elected mayors and councillors.
The ANC has never even pretended to consult the people about who should be mayor in the first place.
The people of Cape Town and Port Elizabeth have been reduced to spectators as their mayors have been summarily dismissed.
Far from innocent herself, Patricia de Lille fell victim to an unethical power grab by her former comrades.
The De Lille matter has exposed DA leader Mmusi Maimane for the puppet he is.
Athol Trollip has been fired by fellow councillors to remove a hurdle to the theft of billions of rand belonging to the people.
Both were among the best mayors in SA, if service delivery in their areas is any yardstick.
At least in Cape Town, corruption had been kept in check since the ANC lost power more than a decade ago.
Many residents of the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality were enjoying unprecedented levels of service delivery, with the city claiming higher credit ratings than any metropolitan municipality since the 2016 local government election ushered in a coalition government under the leadership of Trollip.
Power grabs by politicians are as old as life itself.
The many tribes that make up SA were always ruled by chiefs and kings whose first duty was to eternally secure power for themselves and their kin.
And the first task of the elected variety, even as they came in as liberators of the common man from racial and class oppression, was to secure for themselves such extravagant benefits as those contained in the ministerial handbook.
No benefit for the people in there.
If the past decade has taught us anything, it should be that very few politicians are worth any trust.
The sooner the people demand and get a direct say in the affairs of their nation and municipalities, the better.
Voters must be able to directly elect their representatives at all levels of government.
● This article first appeared in Financial Mail.