ANC dragging out legal duty to report corruption for De Ruyter is a massive own goal

Witnessing an own-goal is never really fun, even if you’re supporting the advantaged team, and usually leaves you with this “ag shame” sense of empathy.

Perhaps that sense is limited to sport though, because in the political arena, when the own-goal is scored by the people responsible for the crime, unemployment, lack of water, electricity, education etc, it’s quite exciting.

Hence, nothing is more exciting now that the guns are out for André. The instrument being used is Section 34 of the Prevention of Corrupt Activities Act, which apparently creates a duty to report corruption.

I know. I had no idea about it either. It doesn’t seem like anybody really knew about it until they needed something to attack with.

So, those threats that Zuma made to bring others down… And what about Ace’s pseudo-acknowledgements of things that went down in the Free State? Let us also not forget our dear Dlamini’s smallanyana skeletons. It would be lovely if their knowledge could be reported.

I know we live in a secular state but open any holy text and you’ll find a piece about casting the first stone or going apart to your devils after declaring your belief.

Regardless of where the lessons come from, they could be rather apt in the coming weeks.

How many municipalities failed their audits? Right, we should probably report some people there too.

Also Read: AG’s Report: Municipal finances a dumpster fire, while consultants laugh all the way to the bank

Maybe even report a couple of RAF attorneys after their recent negative court judgement, along with basically anybody who has access to any amount of power, because it’s the way South Africa has been doing business for the last decade.

Corruption has been part of the game and all the people crying about it not being reported now were just yesterday loving every paperless 10% cut they got out of it.

So, let’s do this!

Let’s ask the questions of who knew anything and then press them on why they didn’t report what they knew. Start with André if you want to, but let it not end there. Oh no!

There are a number of people who the Special Investigating Unit needs to hear from but it’s not like nobody didn’t know that. We could all see it. It’s just that nobody did much about it, but now that we know we are legally obligated to, let’s hope it changes.

Also Read: SIU to speak to De Ruyter about his Eskom mafia claims, shocked he didn’t mention it before

Of course, it won’t change. Of course, this isn’t going to the extended application of Section 34 that we need it to be.

If Section 34, which has been in effect for years, was ever taken seriously, so many people would have been put away.

Since it’s not taken seriously, people know they can get away with corruption because the instrument meant to unmask them is an instrument collecting dust until somebody who isn’t liked needs a bit of a chop.

That refrain of equality before the law needs somebody to apply the law and we’ve been pretty bad at that.

Say what you want, but I’m not keen on trusting the dude who couldn’t sort out the top brass of a party he used to lead, and I don’t trust the people who have spent billions to point out corruption where we all knew it was just to settle political scores.

I’m happy to be obligated to report corruption and I certainly will. Just don’t waste my time by doing nothing about it and cherry picking when my obligation occurs based on who I am or who I need to report.

Legislation is meant to protect us, not to turn us into pawns in a score settling match.

Make me do something for the greater good, fine. Punish me for not doing it, great.

Try to make me do something just for you and use the law to do it, and you can bugger off.