Corruption in South Africa

[Dave A]

I'm sitting listening to some youngsters chatting. One of them has just had a birthday and is delighted with his gift from his brother - his drivers licence!

Sure, the kid has been struggling to pass trying to do it the legal way, and even the testing department is talking about the problems they're having with "consistency." But still - burns my butt. As does this story:

The deputy director general of the North West department of agriculture, Paul Mogotlhe, has an extraordinarily close relationship with the recipient of a R1,1-million provincial government grant his department approved. It is none other than himself.

The Mail & Guardian has a copy of the memorandum of agreement, signed in May this year by Mogotlhe both as the government official who authorised the grant and the owner of Thathana Farms, near Zeerust -- the beneficiary.

Last year the national Department of Land Affairs gave him R354 927 for a land-reform project at the same farm. Thathana, a livestock farm, made it to question time in the National Assembly, where it was upheld as one of North West province's land-reform projects.

Thathana was registered in May 2006 with Mogotlhe and five other family members as owners. He had started his job at the agriculture department two months earlier. According to his financial disclosure statement form, he holds 65% of the shares in the family business. Land Bank funds were also allegedly allocated to him to acquire the farm.

In July this year Mogotlhe allegedly submitted his application for a R1,1-million provincial grant to the Ngakaa Modiri Molema offices of his department.
full story from M&G here

Shameless abuse of position for self-enrichment, by the looks of things.

But wait - it's just got better.

The final decisions on government tenders must be taken out of the hands of politicians, ANC president Jacob Zuma said on Friday.

"We must remove adjudication of tenders from those that hold political office. We must separate it," he said.

Responding to questions at a Cape Town Press Club breakfast he suggested a mechanism such as a tender board needed to be found to address this issue.

"That will go a long way to delivering a telling blow against corruption, at least in government."

Zuma said corruption was "all over" and causing anxiety in South Africa.
from IOL here