Corruption Index: SA fails key corruption test
4 December 2014
Transparency International announced that South Africa scored 44/100 for fighting corruption. This is a clear indication of failure by the ANC to stop corruption at government level (see here).
Countries like Oman and Rwanda rated better than South Africa. This is unacceptable.
Clearly, the multiple scandals engulfing President Zuma and his administration has affected South Africa's perception in the world. We are now perceived to be a generally corrupt country in the eyes of the world. The Nkandla scandal, Guptagate, the Spy Satellite saga, the Arms Deal and the Spy Tapes Saga are all examples of high-profile and embarrassing instances of corruption that has tarnished our international reputation as a good investment destination.
But it is not only our international reputation that has suffered. The R30 billion we lose to fraud and corruption every year also has a real impact in people's lives who have to live with fewer schools, fewer hospitals, power outages and a stagnating economy because government loses too much money to corruption every year.
The solution is clear: President Zuma must clear the air, and answer on all the scandals that have affected his administration. For starters, he must come to Parliament and answer all questions openly and honestly. He must pay back the money he owes on Nkandla and he must disclose all details of the ongoing nuclear deal with Russia.
Crucially, President Zuma must also act to urgently sign the Public Administration Management Bill, tabled back in May 2013. This bill prevents state officials from doing business with government. While Jacob Zuma has been sitting on this bill for more than a year and a half, corruption has gotten dramatically worse.
It is particularly damning to the ANC and President Zuma that the DA has implemented similar legislation in the Western Cape in 2009, putting the national government more than 5 years behind the DA-run Western Cape government in the fight against corruption.
If President Zuma wants to regain a single shred of credibility, he must come clean and sign the Public Administration Management Bill. This is not the South Africa that Nelson Mandela envisioned 20 years after democracy.
Statement issued by Sej Motau MP, DA Shadow Minister in the Presidency, December 4 2014
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