Published on Linkedin on December 12, 2017
In the book ‘Stepping Stones, published in 2010, I included a chapter on ‘Kleptocracy’.
I said at the time:
‘Kleptocracy derives from the Greek words kleptos, meaning ‘thief’, and kratos,
meaning ‘rule’. It is a word used to describe a government widely engaged in
corruption to extend the personal wealth and political power of individuals in the ruling
class.
A corrupt and dishonest government, characterised by greed, is described as
kleptocratic. Such a government is typically run by rulers who are thieves and who
pillage public funds to the detriment of the poor, sometimes without the pretence of
offering any form of honest public service. These kleptocrats then exploit a country’s
natural resources for their own greedy benefit.
The money on which these evil managers of men prey is almost always funds
earmarked for the building of public amenities, schools, hospitals, roads, parks and
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public facilities. Thus, the ordinary citizen is prejudiced, inconvenienced and deprived
by these selfish kleptocrats.
The term ‘kleptocrat’ was first used in the 1960s to describe the activities of the ruler
of the independent Congo, Colonel Joseph Mobutu, who plundered the rich natural
resources of that country for his personal benefit. However, the term could equally
have applied to his colonial predecessor, King Leopold II of Belgium. It is said that the
megacity of Brussels, a European Union bastion, was built with the kleptocratic
proceeds of the resources of the Congo Basin.
The story of Africa is one of the Europeans plundering the natural resources of the
continent and then, when caught with their hands in the cookie jar, hastily effecting
a democratic handover to the most likely African kleptocrat.
This book has urged you young South Africans to develop your own sense of right and
wrong, your own morality, your own ethics and your own zone of indifference. This in
the absence of a reliable schooling and education system. It is a ploy of all kleptocrats
known to man, to restrain the emerging youth from education, thus guaranteeing for
themselves a stratum of humanity upon which to prey. Be warned. Be alert. Be careful.
Be your own person and be democratic. It has taken Nigeria 40 years to learn this
painful lesson.
See Biznews article https://www.biznews.com/africa/2016/02/24/lessons-nigeria-
pitfalls-kleptocracy-sa-take-note/
Speaking in the House of Lords recently, Lord Peter Hain said ‘I feel very strongly that
South Africa is in the grip of a corrupt crony elite. We’ve heard about White Monopoly
Capital. This is a Corrupt Crony Monopoly Elite and it is in danger of so seriously destroying all prospects for the economy, which is a resilient economy and can get
through this I’m sure, but there’s massive damage being done (investor confidence
being damaged) and thousands and thousands of people who should be in jobs,
denied that opportunity. The poorest of the poor being exploited, houses not being
built, hospitals not being built, doctors not being trained, schools not being properly
equipped, teachers not being properly trained, which all could be done with these
billions that are being corruptly laundered’.
Mariann Thamm in her piece, Analysis: Bell Pottinger has taught us what to treasure
in the long, painful haul back to freedom -Daily Maverick, 10 July 2017. She sums up the sentiments of most South Africans that, “many, many lives were lost on the road
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to securing this fragile and flawed democracy we currently enjoy but are in danger of
losing to a kleptocratic class linked to the current leadership of the ANC and who have
no respect for the law, or the history, or the goals of the liberation struggle. South
Africans do not want to relive the trauma of the past. We must deal with the structural
inequality and an economy that does not work for the country’s black majority, but
we have a pragmatic understanding that this will not be accomplished through a civil
war, through the provocation of unrest and hatred”.
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THE ANC FROM HANI TO KHOSA
Published on October 20, 2017
Seven years ago, I saw the writing on the wall. It was Chris Hani’s writing. He had
expressed fears for the ANC movement beyond 1994.
He said ‘What I fear is that the liberators emerge as elitists who drive around in
Mercedes Benz’s and use the resources of this country to live in palaces and gather
riches’.
Well, it took only seven years for the dream to become a nightmare. In ‘Stepping
Stones’ published in 2010 I wrote:
‘South Africa is in turmoil today. The euphoria of the end of apartheid and the advent
of democracy, the ‘Rainbow Nation’ thrill, the racial honeymoon, the dignified patience
of the previously disadvantaged – all have grown old. The prospect of a leftist
government, labour driven, long on demands yet short on intellect and morals,
promises that the dream will become a nightmare.
One reason for this development is that the aspirations of the youth have not been
satisfied. After those dark and desperate years, which saw the end of the apartheid
regime, a generation of young people were filled with the joy of their impending
freedom and the opportunities this event would bestow on them. Sadly, the incoming
majority has been concerned with the creation of a new elitist class and redistribution
of wealth to the senior cadres. There has been little concern for the aspirations of the
young people of South Africa.
The benefits of learning, character building, moral education and religion were lost in
the turmoil of the 1980s and 1990s, resulting in a rudderless, sometimes murderous
element, pervading South African society. The Rainbow Nation is today the crime
mecca of the world, and the ‘haves’ now have more and the ‘have nots’, appallingly
less.
Can we put an end to this moral decay?
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Certainly not where the greater number seem to think that a cell phone is worth more
than a human life. John Ruskin, British social commentator (1819-1900) may have
been very insightful when he once said: “Let us reform our schools and we shall find
little reform necessary in our prisons”.
Perhaps adopting sound, non-sexist, non-racial and evergreen wisdom from the past
can be used to commence regenerating the shredded moral fibre of this country?
What is this morality to which we should aspire?
Morality refers to the concept of human ethics which pertains to matters of right or
wrong – also referred to as good and evil – used within three contexts: individual
conscience, systems of principles, and judgements – sometimes called moral values –
shared within a cultural, religious or political grouping.
The code of ethics is concerned with how a moral person should behave. Ethical values
are beliefs concerning what is morally right and proper as opposed to what is simply
correct or effective.
Whether in life or business, ethical values should be ground rules for behaviour. When
we live by these values we demonstrate that we are worthy of trust.
A system of standards used to produce honest, decent and ethical results is considered
moral.
Albert Schweitzer, author of On the Edge of the Primeval Forest, the Decay and
Restoration of Civilisation and Civilisation and Ethics has this to say on the matter:
“Ethics are nothing but reverence for life. This is what gives me the fundamental
principle of morality, namely that good consists in maintaining, promoting and
enhancing life, and that destroying, injuring and limiting life is evil”.
To aid you in your search for ethics, I have gathered a selection of pertinent wisdom
from the past. Perhaps young people in South Africa will see in these excerpts, building
blocks with which to construct a viable morality for their young lives and hence for the
country they are destined to inherit’.
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If they do nothing, the street kids of today will sadly become the gangsters of
tomorrow.
Fast forward to recent events in 2017 and examine a brave and loyal soldier’s view of
the status of the ANC.
Chris Hani was spot on!
Makhosi Khoza explains why she left the ANC
She said, “President Gedleyihlekisa Jacob Zuma and most of his ANC leadership may
have political consciousness, without a doubt, I don’t think they have a moral
conscience.”
She said on August 8, ANC MPs, herself included were told to divorce themselves from
their moral conscience.
“These orders did not just come from President Zuma, but also from the ANC collective
leadership.”