OUR OPINION: A welcome watch

27 January 2012
Daily Dispatch

Zwelinzima Vavi. Picture: FILE

Zwelinzima Vavi, the general secretary of Cosatu,  echoed the outrage of the nation yesterday when he launched the  labour federation’s new anti-corruption unit, Corruption Watch.
“Corruption is growing like a  wildfire in the veld, threatening to  engulf and destroy the future of a  country that has so much potential,”  he said.
Cosatu has launched a unit that  will collect and investigate allegations of corruption at every level,  from the policeman offering to  quash a fine to the rigging of billion  rand government tenders.
Increasingly positioned as the  conscience of the ruling alliance, Cosatu has promised resolute action in  place of the tepid anti-graft rhetoric  of the ANC.
Yesterday’s initiative follows Cosatu’s opposition to the Protection  of State Information Bill currently  before parliament. The federation  argues that the bill would make it  easier for the state and its officials  to conceal corruption by criminalising some forms of whistleblowing.
The ANC was outraged when Cosatu first summoned civil society  groups to a summit to discuss a  broad assault on graft, but has since  come on board.
Jeff Radebe, the ANC minister of  justice, was much more muted than  Vavi in his address, however,  dwelling on the institutions and  legislation the government has put  in place to fight the theft and abuse  of state resources.
Suggesting that corruption was  less the norm than the exception, he  said: “We must not allow our revolutionary agenda to be subverted  by a few corrupt officials.”
Radebe’s approach goes to the  heart of the escalating crisis. For as  long as government ministers pretend that the abuse of state money  is an occasional aberration, the connected kleptocracy will continue to  point fingers at minor officials while  looting the public purse itself.
Vavi pulled no punches, however.
“The revolving door between public representatives and business has  normalised a picture of public representatives living in mansions behind high walls and electric fences  whilst the surrounding townships  they are supposed to serve reel under the misery of neo-liberalism,  poverty and unemployment,” he  said. 
Political divisions and factionalism had become a perfect cover for  “an appalling tolerance of mediocrity and incompetence”, he said.
Cosatu’s effort is laudable and  could, if it is as effective as promised, be a turning point for the country.
The contrasting tone of Vavi’s address was cause for hope after the  meaningless and evidently unmeant  comments from Radebe.
Now we need to see whether Corruption Watch really will act without fear or favour.