Take a cursory look at the degenerates who were recently sworn in as MPs representing Jacob Zuma’s MK Party. Ample testimony was presented to the Zondo commission on state capture to show that these men, all of them quick to claim to be proud Africanists, were working to line the pockets of the corrupt Gupta family.
Many, if not all of them, have been accused of corruption.
Now, if these people had a sense of shame, they would say to their leader (also facing corruption charges, ironically): “Look, comrade, I don’t want to bring the party into disrepute. Let me resign my position for now and return when I’ve cleared my name.”
They won’t do this. In a South Africa where so many get away with and are applauded for fraud, corruption, murder and all sorts of other crimes, these people are heroes. They are laughing at ordinary South Africans who are appalled that they are anywhere near the legislature.
They are not the only ones. It continues to amaze me that the DA is not ashamed that among its MPs is a man called Renaldo Gouws. Gouws has in the past called black people by the K-word.
DA leader John Steenhuisen has just hired as his chief of staff a racist who gives voice to antisemites. Steenhuisen, the leader of what is supposedly a liberal, nonracial party, is not ashamed. He has defended the appointment robustly.
Even more remarkable is that DA members have been tjoepstil about these scandals. They have behaved as if it is normal for DA members to call black people by the K-word or to sing the praises of Orania as Steenhuisen’s new hire does. Or maybe I am wrong. Perhaps it is normal in the DA to do this.
Where is DA chief whip George Michalakis? When the shameless MK MPs were sworn in, he made this very good point: “These individuals are not suitable to hold positions in a parliament that should uphold the principles of democracy and accountability with integrity at its core.”
I wonder what he has to say about integrity while a member of his party uses the K-word and the leader of his party hires a Nazi booster.
In a South Africa where so many get away with and are applauded for fraud, corruption, murder and all sorts of other crimes, these people are heroes
It is with this shamelessness in mind that I read about justice minister Thembi Simelane last week. An investigation by News24 and Daily Maverick has found that Simelane “received” a loan of R575,600 from Gundo Wealth Solutions to buy a coffee shop in Sandton. This was back in 2016 when Simelane was mayor of Polokwane.
Gundo is owned by Ralliom Razwinane, who is on trial for fraud, corruption and money laundering in connection with his role as a commissioning agent connecting municipalities, including Polokwane, with the collapsed VBS Mutual Bank. Polokwane unlawfully invested R349m in VBS through Gundo’s brokerage.
There is no evidence that Simelane repaid the loan. In any case, Gundo had no licence to issue “commercial loans”. Simelane is now the political boss of the National Prosecuting Authority, which is investigating and prosecuting crimes associated with the collapse of VBS.
There is a huge clamour for Simelane to step down. In a society where we had a sense of shame, she would have rushed to her boss and handed in her resignation to go off and clear her name. She would have said to her comrades: “I don’t wish to distract you from the important work you have to do. I’ll step aside until my name is cleared.”
Now she will go to parliament and face Steenhuisen, a man who shamelessly appoints racists. She will likely accuse him of racism when he raises his voice — and she will be right. She will face off against an impeached former judge, John Hlophe, the No 2 at the thoroughly corrupt MK Party. She will face off against an impeached former public protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, of the EFF.
She will most likely stay in office, unashamed and unrepentant, just like many of our ministers and MPs. Shame is not a quality any of them have. They’re all the same. That’s the price we pay for allowing these unaccountable degenerates into parliament.
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