The illusion that enslaves and besets most South African citizens today is that their political leaders work towards the common good. Nothing could be further from the truth and proof of this fact is to be seen in the ever-increasing levels of crime, corruption, maladministration and unemployment which affect the (mostly poor) people of South Africa. The rich grow richer and the poor get poorer - by the day. Any decent, selfless government would have taken appropriate steps long before now to ensure the situation would not be as self-serving and hopeless as it has become. Sadly, our badly flawed government is not decent and certainly not selfless - attributes which are not in their self-aggrandizing system.
It was hoped that post-1994 would be a renaissance for South Africa - the rainbow nation as Desmond Tutu dubbed it then - and for a very brief period it looked promising. But the acquisition of power that could create lucre, most of it filthy, proved too much and too tempting. The poor quickly became an electoral utility and not an end to be served as one politician after another paid scant attention to responsibility and strived to build and hold onto his or her corrupt personal empire. Latest in that rogues' gallery are Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde, Sicelo Shiceka and former police commissioner, Bheki Cele. Add to that the dozens who have managed to keep out of the spotlight and you have a gallery that has become enormous and growing apace.
It was only a matter of time before such malpractice and lack of scruple filtered into local government and the 'as above, so below' syndrome was clearly illustrated in the Auditor-General's report last year that only 7 out of 237 municipalities received a clean audit. Today most of these municipalities are veritable wastelands symbolised by corruption, incompetence, potholes and bungling office administration.
To make matters worse, and not surprisingly, Interpol has named South Africa as the rape capital of the world and analysts say that women are now more likely to be raped than educated in this country.
It was only a matter of time before such malpractice and lack of scruple filtered into local government and the 'as above, so below' syndrome was clearly illustrated in the Auditor-General's report last year that only 7 out of 237 municipalities received a clean audit. Today most of these municipalities are veritable wastelands symbolised by corruption, incompetence, potholes and bungling office administration.
To make matters worse, and not surprisingly, Interpol has named South Africa as the rape capital of the world and analysts say that women are now more likely to be raped than educated in this country.
As clouds mask Tutu's rainbow nation one is left to ponder whether there is any hope for the immediate future under the present government. Jacob Zuma is steadily getting his crony ducks in a row to ensure that important decisions are favourable towards the current ANC ethos of autocracy and corruption. The recent appointment of controversial crime boss Richard Mdluli is a case in point and another duck added to the infamous row.
Between hapless South African citizens and the country's slide into totalitarianism and possible autocracy lies the South African Constitution. Jacob Zuma sees that mighty edifice as a stumbling block in a grand despotic campaign for eternal ANC rule. Consequently he has been murmuring about 'reassessing' South Africa's judiciary in the hope he can solicit favourable judgements that would serve his purpose. One of his crony ducks, Moegoeng Moegoeng, just happens to be Chief Justice. One must hope that mighty edifice will remain pristine and halt the sinister anarchistic revolution currently brewing below our fragile democratic surface.
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