WE CAN LEARN FROM THE NORTH ABOUT SELF-WRECK

ON THURSDAY, I witnessed firsthand how Brexit has a dividing and humbling effect on Britons.

They are frantically attempting to get to grips with managing policy on the hoof, creating mega uncertainty to stability that they are so accustomed to.

The no deal or my deal slogan has turned sour as Britain scrambles for solutions with a looming deadline. This is almost similar to the wrongfulness of structural adjustment programmes of the

World Bank and the mantra of selfregulating markets of Greenspan.

However, revelations against those elected to trusted positions, would leave any society appalled by the cavalier attitude to those who aspire to lead us through the next national election, the most fundamental being the reasonableness towards the burden of taking oath of office.

Leading extends authority, amasses power and dispenses it. In matters of public interest, it cannot be correct to be dismissive and cavalier to judicial findings.

So it cannot be correct for anyone holding office to equate themselves to individual private citizens.

The reason why policies and structures are required, is to create a predictable structure, with justice and the quality of mercy.

Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, adjudged the Directorgeneral of the National Treasury, Dondo Mogajane, to have violated processes by not declaring his admission of guilt of a traffic offence in his application for the job he is occupying. Mogajane confirmed this violation and is ready face consequences for it. A matter of omission.

Those who have lied under oath and have been adjudged as such, by a competent court, are punted as would-be leaders of society. It is said that they have rights to natural justice. I would argue that while they do have such rights as ordinary citizens, there is a statutory limitation, one, they are in public office.

Constitutional democracies have what is called “public interest”.

If, as society, we accept our rights to be rudely trampled on, our taxes to be abused, the futures of our children to be turned into a vicious circle of violence, schools to be turned into zones of conflict, trains to be torched daily, commuting to work be an endeavour in frustration, political engagement become a machinery for protecting mendacity, illegal access to resources, and escape from accountability, then the catharsis we envisioned, rather than deliver South Africa from a deep morass of social ills and economic doldrums, would rot in the bowels and create cancerous consequences at four levels:

If those who have not been subjected and found guilty in the court of law but have been declared by the judiciary to have violated their oath of office remain and aspire for leadership, what moral platform do we stand on, with regards to the question former president, Jacob Zuma, asked “what wrong had he done to deserve forced resignation”. Are we then not a fork tongued nation?

We, in the struggling and developing south, can be comforted that surely there is a lot we can share with the north that is of benefit, especially Britain which is in the throes of self-inflicted problems.