Politics without ethics a disaster
THIS tale has been doing the rounds for so long that it’s to be true. A KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife warden patrolling the Blue Lagoon area confronts a fisherman from Chatsworth with 10 shad in a bucket.
“That’s way over the limit,” he says aggressively. “You’re under arrest.”
“But lahnee, please,” the man says, “these are my pet fish from home. I just bring them down here to let them swim free once a week. When I whistle, they all come back and get into the bucket to go home.”
“I don’t believe it,” says the warden, handcuffs dangling in his hand.
“OK… I will show you.”
The man promptly dumps the shad into the surf and gazes after them wistfully as they swim away.
After a minute, the warden says, “OK, so how long?”
“How long what?” says the man.
“How long ’til you call the fish back?” “What fish lahnee?” I was reminded of this story the other day when President Zuma demanded the DA hand over the so-called intelligence report senior ANC leaders have linked to Pravin Gordhan’s firing. The president’s lawyers also want the DA to explain where the report came from.
Like the Blue Lagoon angler, Zuma has had the audacity to ask “what report?” when ordered by Judge Bashir Vally of the North Gauteng High Court to provide any information – documents, records, advices and recommendations – used to substantiate getting rid of former Finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas in the vast cabinet reshuffle in March.
The DA wants Zuma to hand over the “intelligence report” which supposedly claimed Gordhan and Jonas were working with international investors to overthrow the state.
It is strongly assumed that Zuma used the “intelligence report” as an excuse to rid Treasury of leadership that was blocking attempts by his allies such as the Gupta coterie to loot the state through dodgy contracts.
SACP and ANC leaders have said the report, which didn’t come from the State Security minister, was presented as a key reason for Zuma’s reshuffle.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe stated publicly that they made a last ditch effort to try and persuade Zuma not to fire Gordhan and Jonas but failed. Zuma reportedly presented the “Operation Checkmate” intelligence report to justify the dismissals.
Following the cabinet reshuffle, an incensed Ramaphosa said: “I raised my concern and objection on the removal of the minister of Finance, largely because he was being removed based on an intelligence report that I believe had unsubstantiated allegations about the minister of Finance and his deputy going to London to mobilise financial markets against our country.”
Following Judge Vally’s order to present the reshuffle records, Zuma has asked the DA – in true Blue Lagoon fisherman’s style – to provide him with the so-called intelligence report that was allegedly used as his reason to fire Gordhan and Jonas. No evidence, no case.
The DA has described the request as “bizarre” and said it was clear that Zuma was “hell-bent” on delaying having to explain why he fired the two ministers.
There is a major difference between being ordered to furnish 10 shad as evidence of a fishing misdemeanour as opposed to an intelligence report used to fire able and upstanding ministers.
Shad, also known as elf, are one of South Africa’s most popular angling fish and are pursued by over 300 000 anglers every year.
In order to protect dwindling ocean stocks of shad, KZN Wildlife imposes a bag limit of no more than four shad per day and of not less than 30cm each. Also, no shad fishing may take place during the closed season from October 1 to November 30.
Fresh curried shad is reputed to be supreme – and any other species of fish can only come second. Shad curry with extra tamarind and brinjal – eaten after whetting the appetite with one or three tots of alcoholic beverage – will take you happily to heaven even if you suddenly drop dead thereafter.
Now you can escape punishment for a shad bag limit transgression by coming up with a fishy plot. Not the same with an intelligence report that has contributed to South Africa’s foreign debt being downgraded by two of the three rating agencies. Junk status threatens foreign investment, which is so necessary to alleviate joblessness and poverty.
Zuma cannot be so blasé about the nation’s fiscal health by fooling around with a High Court injunction and offering a response akin to the ingenious fisherman’s defence.
Relinquishing a pot of shad curry is poles apart from throwing a country’s economy onto the national rubbish dump.
Mockery is being made of Parliament under Zuma’s charge.
Take the absurd case of Brian Molefe who resigned as chief executive of Eskom after former public protector Thuli Madonsela revealed he had exchanged 58 calls with Atul Gupta.
Cellphone records had placed Molefe in Saxonwold‚ the Gupta residence, several times around the time of the controversial Tegeta-Optimum coal mine deal signed with Eskom.
Molefe tearfully denied any impropriety and said there was a shebeen near the Gupta residence, without admitting or denying that he had visited the watering hole.
He was subsequently deployed in government as an MP and was widely touted as Zuma’s choice for finance minister so that he could further enhance the fortunes of the Guptas.
However, given Madonsela’s revelations, Malusi Gigaba was instead appointed finance minister.
The SA Communist Party has claimed Zuma masterminded Molefe’s return to Eskom to ensure that the controversial Gupta family continues to benefit from Eskom coal contracts. Zuma’s son Duduzane is a business partner of Guptas.
It is sad that South Africa is following in the kleptocracy footsteps of other countries where the desire for a grand life style has tempted political leaders to amass money, unethically and in obscene amounts.
A political culture without ethics degenerates into wilder corrupt practices.
Corruption that emanates from political leaders affects society on several planes. It has moral, intellectual, sociological and economic impact and the damage it causes is considerable.
The malady appears incurable because society is caught in a vicious circle – crooked politicians corrupt society and that corruption makes politicians more corrupt.
Unethical politics has a disastrous effect on the morality of a nation. Corruption led by politicians leads to the distortion of values and to the justification of evil with the excuse that it is commonplace to do wrong.
The economic damage that political corruption causes is most palpable. In a truly democratic set up, a leader indulging in any dishonesty would be expelled and any such party would meet its Waterloo – or Welkom – after the general elections. But what if almost all the leaders and their parties have the same style of functioning?
A leader in political office has the authority to direct the course of a nation’s socioeconomic development. He or she enjoys the powers to make policies for developmental activities to be initiated at a macro level.
But if the leader becomes corrupt, it can wreak havoc on the country.
Hence, our leaders will have to bring ethics into politics before it is forever condemned to its death row.
Responsible opposition parties and the media must continue to play a vital role in exposing immoral and unethical corrupt politicians.
We need timeless principles to steer us towards high standards… the ethics of excellence.