Corruption in authority structures highlighted as issue of main concern at The Great Debate
HOUGHTON – The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) recently hosted The Great Debate, online this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Corruption was voted as the issue of the greatest concern, among guests to The Great Debate, held online by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) on Wednesday evening, October 6.
In a guest poll, residents to the meeting were asked what the most important issue was that they were voting for this election. Sixty-seven percent said corruption was their highest concern; 23% were most concerned about water and electricity; 6% were worried about inequality and job corruption; 2% about the maintenance of parks and roads; and 1%, about ‘other’.
Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, and African National Congress (ANC) mayoral candidate, Mpho Moerane, explained the City of Johannesburg had had ‘a basket of issues’ in the period 2016 to 2019 which were corruption-related and that as a result, the City had increased capacity in the forensics department for bringing perpetrators to book. He continued: “There is a corrupter and corruptee. We have listed companies who were colluding with corrupt officials.”
Dr Mpho Phalatse, DA mayoral candidate, said that while corruption was rife and needed to be uprooted, one had to be careful not to use a ‘blanket’ approach when referring to corruption. She explained that not all officials were corrupt but those who were, should be identified and held to account.
Mkhuleko Hlengwa (IFP) said residents should judge candidates by how they walk the walk and talk the talk. Herman Mashaba (ActionSA) said that corruption was a cancer and corrupt officials and agendas needed to be dethroned.
View The Great Debate at https://www.facebook.com/SAJBD/
Kenneth Meshoe (ACDP) took ill on the evening and was represented by councillor Norman (Fana) Mkhonza. He quoted Exodus 18:21, saying scripture advised to choose honest, capable people, with integrity, as a starting point for dealing with corruption. “This corruption issue deals with character.”
Franco de Lange (FFP) said he believed attention needed to be given to who was employed. “Friends and family are getting in. This is how corruption roles. “You cannot turn an oil tanker in three years. It will take two terms of office. The right people must be employed for this to happen.”
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https://www.citizen.co.za/rosebank-killarney-gazette/369359/step-up-for-democracy/
https://www.citizen.co.za/rosebank-killarney-gazette/155998/the-big-debate/
