BY NDZIPO THEMBANI KALIPA:
South African citizens are caught up in a country that has increasingly become a centre of corruption and criminality, as reflected in the revelations emerging from the Madlanga Commission. These revelations raise serious concerns about the quality of service delivery to society and, in particular, the widespread abuse of mandatory practices, constitutional principles, good governance, ethical leadership, and lawful enforcement by public officials who appear to have failed to uphold the oaths they took to serve and protect the people.
We must respectfully return to the foundational values and ethos of our liberation legacy. We should not praise leaders merely for their historical association with the liberation struggle while overlooking present-day failures to protect the institutions of the state and to respond effectively to threats against national security. The weaknesses exposed across various organs of state and government departments cannot simply be treated as business as usual.
South Africa faces an even greater challenge when the principles of inclusive economic participation are undermined by systems that transfer public resources and economic opportunities into the hands of a privileged few. Economic policies and investments should ultimately serve the interests of citizens and communities, enabling people to live better-quality lives and participate meaningfully in the country’s economy.
Our national treasury and other institutions require leaders who possess wisdom, integrity, discipline and a genuine commitment to public service. Revolutionary ideals should never become a justification for self-service. True leadership must distinguish itself from corrupt leaders, criminal networks and private enterprises that exploit the state for personal gain. Trusted leaders should be measured by their commitment to the people, the Constitution and the public interest.
Those entrusted with making and enforcing our laws should be among the highest performers within lawful state institutions. Instead of transforming the historical injustices and immoral systems inherited from the apartheid era, we risk reproducing some of the same patterns of inequality, abuse of power and unethical conduct under a constitutional democracy.
We must therefore confront the possibility that we have abandoned important aspects of our constitutional democratic project and allowed elements of a kleptocratic model of governance to take root. This situation is aggravated by criminal networks, institutional weaknesses, poor accountability and the erosion of ethical standards.
The answer must be a renewed commitment to the Constitution, the rule of law, accountability, ethical leadership, discipline and public service. South Africa must continue discovering and strengthening its own identity, capabilities and institutional resilience through a clear strategic vision and mission. The objectives of the National Democratic Revolution must be pursued in a manner consistent with constitutional democracy, human dignity, equality, justice and the responsibility to build a state that genuinely serves its people.
Our liberation history should inspire us, but it cannot exempt today’s leaders from accountability. The true measure of our democracy will ultimately be whether we can build institutions that are trustworthy, protect citizens from criminality and corruption, deliver quality services, and ensure that the country’s resources are used for the benefit of all South Africans rather than a connected few.
Ndzipo Thembani Kalipa is a former Political Activist and Trade Unionist, former SACP Gauteng Provincial Treasurer, ex-Gauteng Provincial Legislature member and GPL Chair of Legislature SCOPA, ex-MMC for Infrastructure at Ekurhuleni Metro and previously served as the Advisor to the Minister of Human Settlements’ rapid housing delivery task. – @NewsSA_Online
Follow us on our social media platforms below: