In his State of the Nation address of 2006 President Thabo Mbeki said about corruption:
“Government will remain focused on the challenge to fight corruption in the public sector and in society at large.
“We will continue to intensify our offensive on this front, fully aware of the fact that much that happens in our society encourages the entrenchment of a value system based on personal acquisition of wealth by all means and at all cost.”
Stop the laughter was the title of one of President Mbeki’s most brilliant, compelling and thought-provoking speeches.
In the course of this keynote address, he painted a saddening and rather embarrassing picture of how we Africans are progressively making a laughing stock of ourselves.
“The socio-political events unfolding in our country are frightening as they suggest that we are determined to turn South Africa into a circus, and a rather absurd one at that.
“We tend to mock the very democratic order we so vigorously purport to uphold.
“Unfortunately, unlike a typical circus, the actors and their actions are not funny, they are ominous in the extreme.”
President Kgalema Mothlante in one of his speeches said:
“Local government is new structure of good governance, of democracy and of social justice, which we are inculcating at local level, and of course this is no easy task.
“It would be an easy one if our councillors were all highly educated and had years of experience and it would be easy if we had skilled officials, deployable anywhere in the country to plug the skills that exist in some areas.
“It will take some time to redress our terrible legacies.
“It is not uncommon for retired judges, lawyers, academics and business people to make themselves available for public office, not as members of parliament, but as local councillors concerned about local issues.
“Here, the majority of councillors, through no fault of their own, do not have years of skills and expertise.
“What they do bring, is the lived experience of ordinary people.
“If South Africa were run along business lines, it would be a simple matter deciding on the best person for the job.
“In politics, old allegiances, shared experiences and tribal loyalties allow hopelessly incompetent people into positions of power.
“It is doubted whether more than half a dozen of our councillors would amount to anything in the private sector.”
There is nothing wrong when a member of a political party is appointed to a senior position in government or a municipality if that person is qualified for the job.
Merit must be the keyword.
However, when somebody is appointed to a position simply because of political expediency, it is a problem.
To a very large extent, municipalities are in a poor state because, in many instances, comrades were appointed to positions that were well above their abilities.
Some appointments are made to appease political support from the REC and PEC offices.
To be a councillor these days is a privilege to have access to tenders and the municipal purse and to amass wealth.
Internal democracy is constantly being undermined as resolutions of the democratic process are openly undermined or not implemented.
Quoting from late ANC President Oliver Tambo’s speech delivered at the ANC’s 48th Congress in Durban in 1990:
“We did not tear ourselves apart because of lack of progress at times.
“We were always ready to accept our mistakes and correct them.
“Today’s generation has a tendency to be intolerant of views that are not part of the official view, particularly from other political parties.
“The struggle for freedom in this country has been a long and hard one gallantly fought by our people through their organisations in alliance with each other.”
The ANC in Lekwa municipal council is interested in ruling, not serving.
The ANC refers to itself as the ruling party, not the serving party.
Dictators rule and elected governments serve.
It takes no leap of imagination to see which the ANC believes it is in Lekwa.
To the ANC in Lekwa: challenge and inspire us to follow you.
If you have visions, share them.
If you are leaders, show it.
Like Cassius imploring Brutus to be part of the conspiracy in the murder of Julius Caesar, we are to blame for the way in which Lekwa ANC led council and management treat us.
“Caesar would not be a lion, were we not hares,” Cassius said of the Roman’s ruler unfettered, growing powers.
What was that adage about power?
“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Sonwabile Luwaca, Standerton.
The Standerton Advertiser asked comment from the Lekwa Municipality, but no feedback was received at the time of going to press.
