Scrambled accountability
WHO would want to be a mid-ranking official in the public service these days? If your political bosses do anything silly, unacceptable or outright illegal, someone will have to take the fall. And if you were the person who had the misfortune to have done the actual work, chances are that you might become the scapegoat.
Former chief of state protocol Bruce Kolwane found that out after he assisted with the Gupta family’s Waterkloof airbase landing. He was demoted to liaison officer but then rewarded with a diplomatic post in Amsterdam.
The air force’s Lt- Col Christine Anderson, who was Waterkloof’s officer commanding, and a handful of Tshwane metro police officers were not as lucky. No trips to Amsterdam for them.
Jean Rindel of the Department of Public Works found himself pressured to do scapegoat service after he served as project manager for the president’s Nkandla renovations. Mr Rindel did not give in that easily, telling media that “I will not take the hit for what I did not do wrong”. He was one of several public works officials who faced disciplinary hearings over Nkandla. Their minister was not about to take any flak, nor was anyone else in the Cabinet or the Presidency.
Now we have the unnamed official, the “member on duty”, who made the “operational error” of failing to switch off the device which scrambled cellphone signals during last Thursday’s state of the nation address.
The elaborate story State Security Minister David Mahlobo told this week about the signal disruption might have been entertaining if it weren’t so disturbing.
At least the security apparatus is finally owning up to its part in the drama, which brought the media and rival opposition parties together in an unprecedented protest — one that, crucially, attempted to establish citizens’ right to know what was going on in the legislature they elected.
The South African National Editors Forum has succeeded in getting a court order preventing any further scrambling of cellphone signals.
It has yet to get the court to rule on ensuring proper video footage will be provided regardless of whether it suits the ruling party or not. The battle for parliamentary accountability continues.