Taxpayers foot the bill for errant citizens

AFTER reading about the spat between Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni, and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, regarding Treasury director-general Dondo Mogajane not declaring on his job application form that he had a criminal record for a speeding fine, I have to admit that I did not realise that this was such a serious offence.

In fact, I have had at least five such offences.

Maybe the application form should ask the question:

“Have you ever been charged with a traffic offence including, traffic fines?”

One must also question how many of our present government employees have committed such an offence and never declared them on their job application forms.

I would go further and state that all application forms for government jobs should also ask a more pertinent question and that is:

“Have you ever failed to pay your water and lights account?”

With traffic fines the offender is responsible for the debt whereas with the non-payments of water and lights accounts the burden eventually rests on the taxpayers.

It is the taxpayer that has to conthe tinually bail out Eskom. The residents of Soweto are an example in that they owe billions in electricity and water accounts and cheekily say they will not pay up.

Of course, government will not do anything about this matter as they need the votes. GORDON DALLY | Roodepoort