What a wonderful land of opportunity we live in. A twenty-something who failed woodwork in high school can turn his hand to running a brace of construction companies and become a multimillionaire overnight. This is truly a vindication of the slogan “no education before liberation”.
On a smaller scale, but also inspiring to the huddled masses yearning to be rich, is that some sporting administrators managed to structure matters so that they could buy themselves Mercedes E-class limousines for only R1 each. That they achieved this while their organisation was technically bankrupt surely makes their entrepreneurship the stuff of legend and business school case study?
It is therefore most churlish of the ANC Youth League to declare closed to further media scrutiny the sum of around R140-million of provincial and local government tenders awarded to their president’s companies. Since Julius Malema has become such an inspiration to disadvantaged youths, it would be instructive if he were to share his secrets.
For instance:
- While it is clear that one no longer needs the Three Rs to succeed, would a course in struggle accounting be an asset? Does Alan Boesak still offer evening classes?
- Malema’s habit of driving unlicensed, unplated luxury vehicles is obviously a canny move to cut down on his large number of traffic fines. What, in Malema’s view, is a fair amount to pay a traffic cop to ignore one’s transgression of the finicky, neo-colonial imperialist licensing regulations?
- How exactly does one go about giving an estate agent, attorney or bank a couple of million in cash, without causing them to scuttle off to report it as a possible contravention of South Africa’s money laundering legislation? Does one always have to pay the heinous cash deposit charge that banks have taken to levying, or can one negotiate them down if the bundles are carefully sorted and neatly banded?
- As ANCYL treasurer Pule Mabe pointed out in Malema’s defence, the “best way to do business is through government tenders”. If two ANC members of equal rank happen to tender for the same project, how is it decided to whom to award the gravy? Is there some kind of tiebreaker mechanism in the looting provisions of the party’s constitution?
Malema owes it to his admirers out there, to all of us who see him as a role model, to explain these things. After all, as Malema himself so perspicaciously put it, “You must never role model a rich person who cannot explain how they got rich. In the ANC we must not have corrupt people as role models. Corrupt means a simple thing — you can’t explain the big amount in your bank account.”
This statement by Malema is admittedly not entirely original, but an echo of the views of his own role model, President Jacob Zuma. Zuma believes that “lifestyle audits” by the SA Revenue Service are brilliant way to expose corruption and undeclared income. But only of government officials, not politicians, the Big Man, believes. And not just right now.
After all, Malema has already said that he did not benefit from the companies mentioned in newspaper reports and if he did, “there was nothing wrong”. So that’s okay then.
In any case, to identify the super rich comrades as the “unethical” media has done, could place their families in danger from potential kidnappers. Not the journalist’s kids, Malema’s. No one would bother with the journos because they are small fry, forced to accept “brown envelopes” and “sleep with politicians” in order to garner the lies they spread about him.
And they certainly will never be role models.
When WS-Meyer resorts to satire then it is a sign that…oh, what the hell.
I enjoy the skewering, but in fairness, neocolonialism has a rather technical meaning, strictly unrelated to colonialism (settler-farming: colonia is a farm in Latin). Neocolonialism is a situation where one country or region dominates another, typically through debt instruments, backed up by military force, and so compels that country or region to produce for and export to the controlling country’s markets, often at sub-market prices. The textbook case is Britain’s control of Brazil’s Nordeste in the 1850s on.
“This is truly a vindication of the slogan “no education before liberation”
Actually, that precisely correct. While you and the rest of the previously advantaged were wallowing at the trough, enjoying the fruits of the apartheid system, many black kids were smart enough to reject the Bantu Education system, and muster enough courage to take to the streets to battle the security police who were armed to the teeth and did not hesitate to mow down innocent kids, at the slightest chance.
Even though you belittle and demean Malema, you should understand clearly that Malema is still a voice of the poor and disenfranchised, and isn’t afraid to speak his truth. In contrast we now have the previously advantaged who have difficulty telling the truth about voting for the Nats and staying silent during the dark days of apartheid.
” Is there some kind of tiebreaker mechanism in the looting provisions of the party’s constitution?”
You speak of corruption in our mostly TRANSPARENT current democratic government, but seem to have amnesia about the sheer scale of the corruption apartheid regime, a CLOSED government, that led to the present huge wealth disparity between blacks and whites! You fail to point out that most the beneficiaries of that corruption still enjoy their ill gotten gains and live and work among us with impunity. Why?
I am my own role model, don’t need to follow someone else’s stupidities.
I feel always right in what I do. What a peaceful existence.
Spot on. Satire will serve where sanity fails. Black humour might even be called for. The media has now turned to forgery by the fabrication of it. Pull the other one Mr Malema. For a while there I actually hoped the media were the new new Scorpions in disguise. (Hyenas perhaps?) Now Malema proves differently once more. Anyone seriously thinks he has the capability to do this all by himself? All that is still needed, in my mind, is to find that SARS is actually a laundry that deal in special paper for a select clientele of comrades and the picture will be perfect. Perfectly corrupt. Proving the rest of the world right once more.
When the judge and the jury are under the control of the so called “Auditors” then the result will be in favour of those who have been ‘audited’.
In this idiocracy of ours, the ANC and its members can do whaver they like and mostly do. It has been reported that Malema’s R28 million bridge fell down, I am sure that he will not be forced to rebuild it as these tenders come with
1) No experience or knowledge is needed,
2) No guarantees are needed,
3) ANC party loyalty is all thats required and of course, 4) suitable kick backs to the buyers.
Now.. can we translate (remove the sarcasm leaving only the facts) this into all eleven official languages and drop it from the sky… and then pray for the proletariat to actually get it….
Every community worthy of the name has to have people [leaders] who ideally are appointed in a wholly transparent and democratic fashion to carry out certain functions that are needed by the community. For the proper execution of these functions [duties] the community commits itself to pay the people concerned a fair wage for their work.
The above description paints the ideal scenario, the one in which the whole community will benefit to the maximum.
Unfortunately we human beings being flawed self-serving creatures, unless we are prepared to work on righting ourselves, will try to turn these situations of public service into one’s of, primarily, self service and to hell with the public service.
Because by this means individuals can make large amounts of money with minimal effort and very few skills public service positions are much fought over, sometimes viciously, by the individuals whose primary motivation is garnering fortunes for themselves. The fact that these fortunes are gained at the community’s expense is not something that concerns them.
The reality is, public service positions contain an inherent tension between ‘public service’ and ‘self service’. The only way that public as opposed to self service can win the day is if there is constant public vigilance and hefty sanctions for those who lapse into self service. Self-serving individuals will of course use every possible means to prevent this from happening.
It’s very simple for Julius: if Big Daddy (JZ) can put his hand in the cookie jar and get away with it, why shouldn’t I?! Our justic system (crippled by the dissolution of effective law enforcement agencies such as the Scorpions) has been left powerless to deal with manifestly obvious and massive corruption.But let’s call a spade a spade and a thief a thief.
Brilliant! Thanks, William!
@ Dave Harris
Have you ever heard of the phrase “two wrongs do not make a right?”.
Few rational people would argue that the Apartheid regime was not only evil but also corrupt (Info scandal etc).
There is nothing that we can do to change that now – it is history.
We can and should stop the present corruption.
It is also almost certainly true that much more of the corruption is being reported and exposed than was the case in the past, thank heavens.
I have a problem with your insinuation that those that chose violent responses to Apartheid are more worthy than those that chose lawful peaceful means.
Controversial loud-mouths and populists like Malema will always be popular in certain sections of communitites for having the guts to “tell it as they see it” – remember how Popular Pik Botha was in the old days for giving the finger to the UN?.
The causes of the wealth disparity between blacks and whites are many and complex – Apartheid was an enabler, not the cause (don’t believe me, then visit Malaysia and compare the ethnic Chinese to the Malays, go to Brazil and compare the Euro Brazilians to the Black brazilians. Go to the USA – you get the picture.)
By the way, the highest Gini coefficient is in the black population of SA, largely because Broad based black economic empowerment is not broad based at all – it is very narrow based, due to ANC patronage and cronyism .
That excatly abuse of power,that is why skilled people leave the country for Australia,New Zealand and England.The so called DEMOCRACY is being enjoyed by certain group of people belong to a certain Union or Party.As President of YOUTH LEAGUE OF THE RULING PARTY he must get a BIG share ,remember in the book Animal Farm is written `All animal are equal BUT some are more equal than Others` after the struggle all the animals went to.Nationalisation for mines means let us have another `tenders` on the MINES so make more money and be Parties Guru`s with expensive drinks and food.Impressive stuff Will keep this flowing.
@Dave Harris: William wallowed in no trough and was as harsh in his condemnation of abuses under the apartheid regime as he is of those under the post-apartheid regime. Tackle his arguments by all means, but make no assumptions about where he comes from or what he believes in. I have often clashed with him in public over his views, but his integrity is unassailable.
Dave Harris, during Apartheid the Liberal media were full of the bad deeds of what was going on. Nat heavyweights used to complain every public speech about the biased Liberal media. Bad was exposed as much as possible in the light of repression including every overseas media outlet did more than their bit. So bad should be exposed now otherwise the logic that because whites did it therefore blacks are allowed to to do it – where and when does it stop?
Second point, please explain to all of us how Malema’s deeds assists the whetched and poor caused by Apartheid.
Brent
@ Dave Harris, I hope you are writing your claptrap from the comfort and security of your offshore domain. You see this is just the point,by supporting and perpetuating the theft of goverment and tax payers money, you do a great disservice to all the people of South Africa. I bet you cant wait for us to become the last victim of African failed states, therefore sealing the fate of all the previously disadvantaged that you hold so dear. Hope you will be back with your soup kitchen. In the mean time we will hold the fort and reserve the right to critisize in the now and not the past.(Which has been done by the way,enough already)You miss the point by a mile, no one cares that their is a “little” nepotism or buddy buddy thing happening. As you point out it “probably” happened a lot under the previous lot (Those bad evil people that built nothing and stole all our money). But lets keep it real, at least fulfil the obligations of the contract and try and empower all those poor people that you claim to support. It is probably realistic to make a good 2% profit on such large amounts,minus overheads and capital goods cost, you know all that heavy machinery. Lets see, Oh yes that leaves you with R140 000 000,00 (Woodwork Accounting 1). Yeez! Sweat, Just enough to pay Security,bond,watch,Lambo and 1 bottle of Shivas..Tax what Tax !
@Dave Harris
With the freedom of speach comes the freedom to think….(pause)…. NOT.
Great article as always.
@Peter L
“The causes of the wealth disparity between blacks and whites are many and complex – Apartheid was an enabler, not the cause”
NOT THE CAUSE!!! So I take it that you buy into the false belief of racial superiority then? If so, there isn’t much to discuss and further.
@Kanthan Pillay
“…his (WS Meyer) integrity is unassailable.”
Are we speaking of a mere mortal here or some kind of deity that needs to be worshiped?
@brent
“Dave Harris, during Apartheid the Liberal media were full of the bad deeds of what was going on.”
Sorry, but such lies just diminishes your credibility. We only acquired free speech rights AFTER our liberation, remember we NEVER had free speech during centuries of white supremacy. How easily we forget these little details
@Cobus De Wet
Your doom and gloom predictions and constant whinging about about “corrupt “rich blacks being the cause of our wealth disparity just doesn’t cut it! Negative stereotypes of blacks is propagated so pervasively in SA that even “liberal whites” generally regard rich Africans and Indians and Coloreds as generally corrupt while rich whites are “entrepreneurial”.
The graciousness, humility and tenacity of the majority of SAns is really what makes our country great, not the fancy buildings or gold and diamond mines or opulence displayed be a certain portion of our society. The rest of the world sees our greatness except of course the previously privileged, too used to white AA and now too fixated on hanging on to their ill-gotten wealth made possible through apartheid laws.
Sorry Dave Harris.
Racial disparity would not exist without racial superiority. Just a little bubble, but it popped nevertheless.
If you want to convince yourself otherwise, then you have just proved my contention to be true.
@ Dave Harris
I dont do predictions or “Doom and Gloom”,but I do live here and reality is reality. Corruption is corruption,it was then and it is now. The people of South Africa deserve better. We have been done over by all and sundrie over the decades and it is time to put a stop to it.The millions of impoverished need their moment in the sun,as promised by the ANC. It is not about who is rich and the colour of the skin but how that wealth has been obtained. I dont give a hoot about your version or interpretation of “Entrepreneurial”, Entrepreneurs are creative,they create their own wealth and generally jobs go with that. Their is nothing “Entrepreneurial” about being given Goverment tenders that you dont have the capacity to do yourself, Nor the means or expertise. Which you then have to sell on at a higher cost to the Tax payer regardless of who you are. Dont try and sell us the big “Hope and tenacity” drivel. We live in the here and now,we cant wait hundreds of years for things to improve(and yes I am speaking on behalf of my “Black” brothers)Unlike you and your ilk, I do want their lives to improve and dignity restored,not for the few but the “Many” in their own lives!! And that doesnt mean a tin shack RDP House,a T-Shirt and a cap built for the princely sum of Billions.Wake-Up!
@David Harris
The apartheid government did occasionally censor, torture and murder journalists, and generally had a fairly open intelligence presence in the media, but much did come out; in the massacres in Cape Town in the 80s, they had to physically bar (black and other) journalists. The Rand Daily Mail, amongst other papers, did often publish embarrassing facts, e.g. Steve Biko’s murder. Again, as I had said earlier, you don’t have a cat’s clue about the nature of the Apartheid regime, nor about the struggles against it. I take it you are from USA?
@Cobus De Wet
You seem bitter about not being able to secure Government tenders due to the loss of your white-AA privileges. Life sucks when the shoe is on the other foot, doesn’t it? LOL
Just go to any developed country and you will see just how pervasive corruption is in the majority of Government tenders. Sorry buddy, the days of white-AA are over.
@Dave Harris: “Are we speaking of a mere mortal here or some kind of deity that needs to be worshiped?”
Neither. We are speaking of a person who is articulate, intelligent, and has integrity which is among the rarest of species. Feel free to name those in your circle who have those attributes.
@Kanthan Pillay
Hmm…so he’s your deity then.
@ Dave Harris
We can play this game forever and a day, the fact still remains “Fiddle while Rome burns” at your peril. You can argue for the sake of arguing as long as you want.I dont care about other goverments and dont need so called “white AA” never have and never will.But if you have to make this a race issue well then Lets look at the Stats: The average white person in South Africa since 1994 has got wealthier,the average black person poorer (Please exclude 2000 ANC cadres).But I see your point finally,good one Dave,but then I never was a “Conspiracy Theorist”.From now on I will keep very Quiet,thanks a Million. I hope this buys me a “Keep out of jail card” for when you are back in charge with your fellow “white” liberals.
@Kanthan Pillay
This bhen ch… known as Harris knows not the meaning of interpersonal respect and friendship, again hinting that he’s a Yank. Yanks are very lonely creatures, who as a result must find personal meaning by way of depersonalized minimovements – often personality cults (probably why he comes up with this nonsense – I’ve lived there – I don’t know how the majority of them stay sane) – they simply cannot form friendships; to quote Raul Hilberg re Yanks, “what they call their friends are merely acquaintances.”
@Johan Meyer
“Again, as I had said earlier, you don’t have a cat’s clue about the nature of the Apartheid regime, nor about the struggles against it.”
Coming from someone who is a direct beneficiary of hundreds of years of white supremacy, I would not be so quick to lecture others about not knowing about apartheid. Its the height of delusion …LOL
@Cobus De Wet
“We can play this game forever…”
I’m not sure were about playing games here.
“I hope this buys me a “Keep out of jail card””
I think we’re all out of those cards! Remember the TRC, well its over! I’m afraid its time to take responsibility for the sins of the architects of apartheid.