Courageous people needed to fight corruption

The now daily, but empty anti-corruption rhetoric and slogans from our political leaders could have been laughed off as a joke, if the consequences of corruption on society were not so devastating. To start with, we must declare corruption a national emergency. Corruption busters must have some credibility. It is farce if those paid to fight corruption, are perceived in society to be corrupt themselves.

Any serious campaign to deal with corruption must start with tackling political corruption, which provides the incubating environment for other corruption. The ANC, as the ruling party of South Africa, dominates society. This means that the behavioural norms, practices and internal cultures of the ANC, will also dominate society.

If the cancer of corruption has started to infuse the norms, values and practices of the ANC, it will spill over into broader society. In such an instance, no amount of corruption busting in broader society will do much to uproot corruption. Eradicating corruption within the ANC itself is a prerequisite for cleaning up corrupt practices in society.

Joel Netshitenzhe, the outgoing government policy chief, has rightly warned in an interview with the Sunday Times last Sunday that corrupt practices inside the ANC will soon reach a ‘tipping point’ if not stopped ‘with all the power of society and by the ruling party itself’.

We will have to tackle the widespread perception that one can get away with corruption if connected to the ‘right’ political faction or the leadership in the ANC. In fact, the culture of corruption will continue if there is a widespread belief – which there is – that when it comes to prosecuting corruption, some individuals and groups are ‘immune’ to prosecution because of their political ‘connectivity’.

The media is awash with glaring cases of corruption, abuse of scarce public resources and funds, but it appears that not a finger will be lifted by authorities to prosecute the guilty, because the implicated are perceived to be connected to dominant factions or leaders in the ANC.

The perception is also that if one is not connected to the leadership or the dominant faction, one is likely to be quickly prosecuted for wrong-doing. In any society there must be a sense that rules are applied fairly – if there is going to be broad buy-in to society’s rules. Different rules should not apply to different people, depending on how close they are to the dominant faction of leadership of the ruling party. But fairness must also include not allowing state institutions – such as the police, security and intelligence services – to be used to ‘plant’, manufacture or smear political rivals, critics or opponents with alleged ‘corruption’.

Tackling political corruption within the ANC is likely to be career limiting, for whichever party leaders, activists or members, wanting to seriously do so. Those who do so must prepare themselves to become very unpopular among some party bosses, groups and factions. They will risk being marginalised, ousted or demoted through ‘redeployment’. They will found out that even outside government life will be difficult: If in business, government tenders will not be forthcoming, even private companies and other organisations wanting to be in the good books of government – for contracts, will stay away from them. Yet, to stop corruption from preventing the attainment of a better life for the majority of our people, and not only the elite, a lot of courageous people are needed within and outside the ANC, to not only support honest corruption fighters, but to become corruption fighters themselves.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS

* This article first appeared in the Sowetan.
* William Gumede is author of 'Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC'.
* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at Pambazuka News.