Chikane not someone you can dismiss with negative political rhetoric

The new chair of the ANC integrity commission (IC), Frank Chikane, has promised to do what all of his predecessors failed to do: get rid of the rot in the party.

He is the first IC chair to acknowledge the difference between ethical conduct and the criminality of ANC members who, all along, thought because you have not been charged criminally or if charged at all, you are “innocent until proven guilty”.

They missed the unwritten text that conversely says “you are guilty until proven innocent”. That’s why many would go all out to lodge an appeal which would keep them away from a jail cell.

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But Chikane seems to be saying all that is nonsense. The struggle stalwart is not someone you can intimidate or dismiss with negative political rhetoric, because he is a tried and tested cadre of the movement.

The apartheid system tested his faith and strength it on many occasions. They poisoned him, hoping in their evil intent that he would die, but he lived and even outlived many of his tormentors. Instead of getting rid of him, they came back to literally wash his feet in biblical fashion.

But, as a Christian himself, he accepted the apology and forgave the enemy, which is one of the three central values of Christianity along with being a good neighbour and love.

During his inaugural media briefing this week, Chikane promised not to look the other way when criminality by ANC members happens.

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When he said, “I am not ready to be governed by criminals”, he knew what he meant. He is not the type to sweep things under the carpet and if they chose him hoping he would do that, they are in for a shock. They will rue the day they sat down and decided on his name.

It takes one bold person to fix a corrupt country and Public Protector Thuli Madonsela proved to us that it’s possible. She made a huge difference and left a legacy that would last for generations. Some even suggest she should stand for president.

You have to be spiritually strong to do Chikane’s job because nobody is going to listen to you or do what you tell them to do.

With criminality having permeated all levels of the party, Chikane will soon have his hands full.

Corruption in South Africa is deep-rooted and syndicated, with top politicians moving the chess pieces from the background.

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These range from the yet-to-be-named senior politicians involved in the Eskom scandal who caused former chief executive André de Ruyter to abandon his sinking ship, to those in Cabinet yet to be charged.

Last week, we heard about senior parliamentarians sitting on the committee who allegedly attempted to solicit a bribe from suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane via her husband to make her fitness to hold office case disappear.

At the same time, why are we surprised when a former president has been in and out of the courts for the past 20 years on graft charges, while one former premier is in jail and another is on trial for corruption?

And another former premier and her incumbent are being investigated on allegations of fraud relating to their tertiary qualifications.

If Chikane were to do his job retrospectively and in the vigorous manner he promises, we could see the dominoes falling. But, I suspect, they might ask him and his fellow commissioners to start from the current term and move forward.

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It gave us hope when he said: “We need to make sure that criminals don’t take over the country, for now criminals are running us and we need to break it.”