Good Business Basics: At what point is the freedom dividend to be paid to the majority?
The media is awash with reports of millions spent by ministers, senior state owned enterprise executives, and government officials on fact-finding missions of some sort or another to overseas countries.
During his recent testimony at the Zondo Commission, former CEO of Transnet, Siyabonga Gama revealed that he had rerouted his return flight from Switzerland to Dubai, so that he could shop for a dress for his daughter’s matric farewell function. This was in denial of the evidence leaders contention that the trip to Dubai was to meet with Gupta lieutenant Salim Essa to discuss issues around the state capture project.
To me, this rebuttal by Gama crystallised the difference between anointed political elite and normal people. The anointed have the luxury and wherewithal to shop for their children in places most ordinary South African could only dream of.
This casual embracing of the jet-set lifestyle was reinforced a day later by Norma Gigaba, estranged wife of ex-minister Malusi, when she described her five-star luxury honeymoon (coincidentally also in Dubai), and frequent overseas holidays and shopping trips, allegedly funded by lashings of Gupta cash.
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This is after revealing that she spent R4-million cash over a few days in preparation for the wedding. And let’s not forget former Minerals Resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane, who ditched a scheduled commercial flight from Switzerland to India, booked and paid for by his department, to fly on the Gupta’s private jet instead. His explanation to the Commission? He had a sore throat. The media is awash with reports of millions spent by ministers, senior state owned enterprise executives, and government officials on fact-finding missions of some sort or another to overseas countries.
Invariably, theses visits are to European capitals, or North America, and include stays at the very best hotels, and chauffeured transport. I often wonder if we would be better served by visits to our African peers and other emerging economies who are grappling with similar socio-economic challenges, but I suppose the shopping opportunities and hotel accommodation are not as alluring.
There is a train of thought that talks to citizens of poor or developing countries tolerating the excesses of their political leaders because they are the architects of freedom and deserve to be rewarded.
But at what point is the freedom dividend to be paid to the majority of the citizens, rather than a select few? Even the supporters of ostensible ‘People’s Parties’ such as the EFF have no problems with their leaders swanning around in top-of-the range luxury vehicles, and helicoptering to meetings, as the leader of the party recently did for his interaction with ex-President Zuma.
The behaviour of the political elite in our country has set the bar of expectations for incoming cadres very high. It will be very difficult to lower that bar any time soon.
Vijay Naidoo writes in his personal capacity as CEO of the Port Shepstone Business Forum. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.
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